Ramos surges into ADT joint lead in Egypt; Tabuena stays in the mix in Taiwan
(UPDATED 6:20 P.M.) MANILA, Philippines — Sean Ramos defied the odds in spectacular fashion, firing an eagle-fueled six-under 64 to storm from joint 17th into a share of the lead with England’s Sam Rook halfway through the Egypt Golf Series 13 at Madinaty Golf Club on Thursday.
Ramos produced the kind of finishing burst that can change the complexion of a tournament, recovering from a birdie-bogey exchange at No. 11 and a stretch of five straight pars before igniting his round with a pitch-in eagle on the par-4 18th.
He carried that momentum into the front nine, birdieing four of his last five holes, including three in a row from No. 5, to close with a pair of 32s and a 36-hole total of nine-under 131.
The remarkable comeback put Ramos alongside Rook at the top of the leaderboard after the Englishman carded a 65 built around seven birdies, more than making up for a costly double bogey on the opening hole.
Ramos and Rook held a one-stroke advantage over American Nathan Han and Korean Jaeil Kim, who posted matching 132s. Han moved into contention with a 63, while Kim followed up with a 68.
Japanese Kosuke Hamamoto and Thailand’s Weerawish Narkprachar are tied for fifth at 133 after matching 64s, alongside Brent Ito and August Thor Host, who shot 66 and 68, respectively.
For Ramos, the turnaround was particularly impressive given where he started the day. Coming off the course in one of the later flights and sitting in joint 17th after the opening round, the Filipino had to navigate difficult conditions while keeping himself within striking distance.
Instead, he transformed the deficit into a share of the lead, putting himself in position for what could become a significant milestone in his young career.
Ramos already owns a Philippine Golf Tour victory at Lakewood, but a triumph in the $125,000 Asian Development Tour event would carry another level of significance, giving him a potential breakthrough on the region’s developmental circuit and further underscoring his ability to compete against an international field.
With 36 holes still to play, Ramos knows there is plenty of work ahead. But after producing one of the biggest moves of the day – and doing so with an eagle and a blistering closing stretch – he has given himself a genuine opportunity to turn an extraordinary comeback into an ADT breakthrough.
The challenge now is to sustain the charge over the final two rounds.
In Taiwan, Miguel Tabuena slowed down with a one-under 71 on Friday but remained within striking distance of the leaders midway through the Taiwan Masters at the Taiwan Golf and Country Club.
Tabuena, who opened with a 70, stayed in contention despite continued struggles off the tee. He hit just five of 14 fairways but kept his iron play sharp, reaching 13 greens in regulation. His putting, however, remained indifferent as he needed 30 putts to negotiate the par-72 layout.
Still, the Filipino ace, priming up for next week’s Asian Games battle, moved from a share of 13th to joint eighth at three-under 141, three strokes behind local ace Chang Wei Lun, who seized the lead with a 68.
Chang carded five birdies against a lone bogey to reach 138, overcoming his own driving woes after finding only six fairways. He more than compensated on the greens, needing just 26 putts while hitting 12 greens in regulation.
Chang holds a one-stroke lead over a four-way group at 139 that includes erstwhile leader Gavin Green of Malaysia, who followed his opening 68 with a 71, and Hung Chien Yao, who charged into contention with a 67 built on six birdies against a bogey on the first hole.
Thailand’s Suteepat Prateeptienchai also moved into the mix with a 69 to join Green and Hung at second.
Chan Shih Chang matched Hung’s 67 to climb into a tie for fifth at 140 with Kevin Yuan, who shot 73, and Shen Wei Chang, who carded 71.
The crowded leaderboard sets up a wide-open weekend, with 12 players separated by just three shots heading into the final 36 holes.
Tabuena shares eighth with Shotaro Ban (68), Santiago dela Fuente (69), Hsieh Ting Wei (69) and Atiruj Winaicharoenchai (73), keeping the Filipino firmly in the hunt for the championship.
The other Filipinos, however, missed the cut at 147.
Lloyd Go followed his opening 77 with a 74 for a 151 total, while Justin Quiban fought back with a 73 after a 79 but finished at 152.
- Latest
- Trending
