Inclement weather halts PGT, LPGT play

LAUREL, Batangas – Adverse weather conditions forced the suspension of the second round of both the Philippine Golf Tour and the Ladies PGT, with only a handful of players able to complete the 36-hole play in the men’s side Wednesday here.

In a statement, the organizing body, Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. (PGTI) announced that the completion of the unfinished second round would start at 6:30 a.m. on Thursday, with the third round set to resume before 10 a.m.

After a two-hour stoppage due to a lightning threat, the PGTI decided to suspend the round altogether as heavy rains continued to batter the Splendido Taal Golf Club and nearby areas.

When play was halted, Keanu Jahns and Daiya Suzuki shared the clubhouse lead with completed 36-hole totals of five-under 139 after rounds of 69 and 72, respectively.

“I have a good chance, but I’m not really thinking about it. I’m trying not to get ahead of myself,” said Jahns, who hit two birdies on the back nine and added two more in the last four holes on the front to offset a lone miscue on No. 3.

“You need a lot of patience playing this course. I could’ve converted more birdies if it weren’t for the strong wind, but 69 is a good score, so I’ll take it,” added the Fil-German shotmaker.

Suzuki, who tied Clyde Mondilla and Kim Min Seong with 67s Tuesday, took solo control with a stirring eagle-birdie start from No. 10. However, he dropped strokes on Nos. 13 and 14, which he regained with birdies on Nos. 16 and 2.

But the 25-year-old Japanese faltered at the finish, holing out with a wet double-bogey on the par-3 No. 8 and a bogey on the last.

“Bad finish,” said Suzuki. “I try to shoot five-under tomorrow (Thursday).”

However, Tony Lascuña, who shot a 69 in the first round, posted a running six-under aggregate after carding four birdies and one bogey through 12 holes.

Early morning starters Kim Tae Soo and Angelo Que completed their second round with matching 72s, resulting in 140 totals. Rupert Zaragosa also impressed in the morning wave, posting an eagle-spiked five-under card through 12 holes, matching Aidric Chan, Kim Min Seong, and Mondilla’s running four-under totals before play was stopped.

Chan had an even-par round through 12 holes, Kim had a one-over card with three holes to play, and Mondilla struggled after an eagle-birdie start from No. 10, fumbling with two bogeys and a triple-bogey on No. 16 against one more birdie for a one-over card with six holes to play.

Forty players and ties will advance to the final 36 holes of the P2 million championship sponsored by ICTSI, with the projected cutoff score at six-over 149.

In the Ladies PGT, Florence Bisera bounced back from a bogey start on No. 1 with birdies on the second and seventh holes, grabbing the clubhouse lead from first-round leader Jiwon Lee with a one-over aggregate after nine holes.

Lee, who had initially increased her lead to two with a birdie on No. 1, made three straight bogeys from No. 5 and slipped to joint second with Marvi Monsalve at three-over scores. Monsalve parred the first nine holes.

Sarah Ababa carded an even 36 for a running five-over total, while Mafy Singson and Rev Alcantara matched one-over cards at the front to tie Mikha Fortuna and Chihiro Ikeda with six-over aggregates. Fortuna wavered with a two-over frontside, while Ikeda struggled with a 39.