Ramos stays in Asian Tour Qualifying School Section D hunt despite 74

MANILA, Philippines – Sean Ramos faltered in a tough late start and limped with a four-over 74, tumbling from joint sixth to a share of 31st halfway through the Asian Tour Qualifying School Section D at the Thana City Country Club in Bangkok, Thailand Thursday.

Baekjun Kim surged past overnight co-leader and fellow Korean Heemin Chang with a solid 64 in the morning wave, taking command at 129 at the par-70 layout as the latter slipped to 130 after a 66.

In a switch in tee time, Ramos parred the first two holes in challenging conditions but yielded two strokes on the par-3 No. 3, which he birdied in the first round. He bogeyed the next, but kept his poise in check with pars for a frontside 39, only to lose his touch and focus again with bogeys in the first two holes at the back.

He birdied No. 14 for the second straight day for that 74 and a 36-hole aggregate of 140, now 11 strokes off the new leader.

But he needs to rebound strong in the last two rounds to make the cut with limited slots being disputed in this fourth part of the five-stage elims for the Final Qualifying Stage slated next week at the Lakeview Resort and Golf Club in Hua Hin, also in Thailand.

The Section E elims is being held simultaneously at the Springfield Royal Country Club (B and C), also in Hua Hin.

Dino Villanueva, meanwhile, bounced back from a horrible 77 start with a 72 but remained too far behind at tied 100th and faced early elimination in the four-day tournament.

He shot three birdies but made a couple of double bogeys and a bogey for a pair of 36s and a two-day total of 149.