Solid Corpus sustains ADT surge, nears 2nd crown

MANILA, Philippines — While still searching for a breakthrough on the Philippine circuit, Carl Corpus continued to thrive abroad, showcasing elite form and composure under pressure as he fired a bogey-free 66 to grab a share of the lead after 36 holes in the Indonesia Pro-Am at the Gunung Geulis Country Club in Ciawi-Bogor, Indonesia on Thursday.

Corpus, whose game has been steadily trending upward since his maiden win on the Asian Development Tour in June, proved once more that he is playing some of the best golf of his young career. Starting his second round on No. 12, he immediately made his presence felt with back-to-back birdies, added another on the par-3 17th, and closed with a flourish — birdieing the last two holes (Nos. 9 and 10) to cap a solid 35-31 round.

Although his second-round effort was two shots shy of his opening 64 — a round highlighted by an eagle — it was enough to keep him in the hunt, tied at 12-under 130 with Taiwanese Ching-Hung Su, who also shot a seven-under round at the par-71 East layout.

Corpus' continued surge on the ADT contrasts his recent homecoming stints, where he has shown flashes of brilliance but hasn’t quite cracked the winner’s circle. He settled for a share of fifth at Caliraya Springs and tied for eighth in Bacolod in his recent Philippine Golf Tour outings.

Yet on the regional stage, he has emerged as one of the tour’s most consistent and dangerous players.

“I played pretty well today,” Corpus said after his second straight blemish-free round. “I had a couple of long par putts that I wanted to make — and I made almost all of them.”

His sharp scrambling and putting underscored his steady round, where sloping fairways and tricky green complexes have tested the field.

“Most of the holes were on slopes, but it was difficult for everyone. I was lucky to make some good putts — that’s all it took,” he added.

With a total purse of $125,000 and just one round left in the 54-hole event, Corpus will now attempt to convert this strong position into his second ADT victory, following his breakthrough triumph in the Morocco Rising Stars Marrakech at Al Maaden. That win also marked a banner moment for Filipino golf, as cousin Aidric Chan topped the Morocco Rising Stars at Samanah, completing a Philippine sweep of the ADT's Moroccan swing.

Just one shot behind the leading duo are Naraajie Ramadhanputra, who carded a stunning 62, and Grant Godfrey, who matched Corpus' 65 for a 131 total. Another shot back is Finlay Mason, also well in the mix after a strong 65 for 132, while a logjam at 133. including Thailand’s Nopparat Panichphol, set up a thrilling final round.

As the leaderboard tightens, all eyes will be on Corpus, who appears to be peaking at the right time. If he can maintain his rhythm and putting touch, another ADT title may be within reach — further solidifying his reputation as one of the Philippines' rising golf stars on the regional stage.

Meanwhile, over in Korea, Miguel Tabuena carded a 71 to trail by five at the start of the Shinhan Donghae Open at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club.

He gunned down three birdies against two bogeys for a share of 38th spot, five strokes behind Jiho Yang and Danthai Boonma, who matched 67s to take a one-shot edge over a crowded group at 68. Despite hitting 16 fairways and 12 greens, Tabuena needed 33 putts to complete his 35-36 round on challenging greens.