Ramos rises to joint 2nd after solid 66 in Phuket Open

MANILA, Philippines — Sean Ramos defied tough afternoon conditions to fire a flawless four-under-par 66 and catapult himself into contention at the halfway mark of the Phuket Open, part of the Asian Development Tour, at the Laguna Golf Phuket in Thailand late Friday.

After completing a rain-delayed opening round with a solid 68 earlier in the day, Ramos caught fire in the second round. He carded birdies on holes 3, 8, 10 and 11 and scrambled with poise to save key pars, turning in an impressive 32-34 scorecard at the par-70 layout.

His two-day total of six-under 134 propelled the former Philippine Golf Tour champion into a share of second place alongside five other contenders. Despite their strong showing, the group remained six strokes adrift of red-hot frontrunner Suradit Yongcharoenchai.

The Thai ace followed up a scintillating first-round 61 with a 67 to stay firmly in control at 128.

Ramos is now aiming to carry his momentum into the weekend as he eyes a breakthrough title in the THB4 million tournament, one of the marquee events on the Asian Development Tour calendar.

Joining Ramos in the charge for Filipino glory is Carl Corpus, who matched his compatriot’s second-round 66. Highlighted by five birdies and offset by a single bogey, Corpus moved into a tie for eighth at four-under 136, putting himself within striking distance heading into moving day.

Veteran Juvic Pagunsan also made the cut despite a roller-coaster round of 72, settling at 139.
Meanwhile, rising star Aidric Chan carded an even-par 70 for the second straight day, posting a 140 to make the cut.

Chan, who notched a career breakthrough with a win in Vietnam in March, now faces an uphill climb if he is to challenge for back-to-back victories.

But three-time Asian Tour winner Angelo Que failed to advance to the weekend despite a spirited second-round 69. His opening 74 proved costly, and he finished at 143, three shots off the cut line.

With Ramos and Corpus leading the Filipino contingent, and Pagunsan and Chan still in the mix, the Filipinos remain hopeful of a strong showing. All eyes now turn to Saturday’s moving day, where the quartet will aim to position themselves for a serious Sunday push at the 72-hole championship.