Tawit Polthai tames the wind, leads Philippine Open with 67

STA. ROSA, Laguna, Philippines — Coming off a mediocre finish at Riviera last week, Tawit Polthai thought it best to put up a strong start to fuel a dream Solaire Philippine Open title drive for Thailand.

He didn’t disappoint – at least after the first 18 holes of the $500,000 event, which he turned into a virtual one-man show despite tough conditions at the dreaded The Country Club course as he churned out a kind of game – a bogey-free, eagle-aided 67 – that wins big-time championships.

While majority groped and struggled trying to come up with a decent start in scorching heat at the wind-raked Tom Weiskoph-designed layout he had never played before, Polthai made it look easy – at least after the first 18 holes of the $500,000 event sponsored by Solaire Resort & Casino for the third straight year.

But one solid round doesn’t make a champion here at TCC.

“It’s a very tough, windy course. I’m really surprised to have shot a 67,” said the 25-year-old Polthai, who overcame the heat and bucked the odds in afternoon play with a near-impeccable short game and solid putting, producing three birdies inside 15 feet and a 10-foot eagle on the par-5 eighth off a 6-iron second shot from 183 yards for a 32-35 card.

It was  a big surge for a player who struggled to finish joint 37th in last week’s ICTSI Riviera Challenge.

Polthai did struggle off the mound, missing five fairways but the Bangkok native banked on his wondrous touch both on his long and short irons and putter, saving pars in eight times he went out of regulation and capping his day-long brilliance with 24 putts.

Charng-Tai Sudsom bogeyed the treacherous par-4 18th and settled for a 71, dropping to joint second instead with Clyde Mondilla and Aussie Jack Sullivan while Malaysian Nicholas Fung also holed out with a bogey and fell to a share of fifth at 72 with Thai Chonlatit Chuenboonngam, Sam Gillis of the US, Aussie Damien Jordan and locals Justin Quiban and Cookie La’O.