CARMONA, Philippines — South Korea’s Minhyuk Song put on a sizzling show at Manila Southwoods, firing a staggering 10-under 60 highlighted by a hole-in-one to zoom ahead in the 108th Philippine Open presented by the Philippine Sports Commission yesterday.
The 22-year-old hotshot unleashed a fury on the Masters’ back nine – his opening side – and went on a fiery seven-under run from the 14th to the 18th to set the tone for his climb to the top at 130 through 36 holes.
Song, who matched par in Round 1, grabbed a four-shot lead against Thailand’s Sarit Suwannarut (134 after a 63) while another Thai Sadom Kaewkanjana (135 after a 67) stood one stroke back.
Song created momentum with a pitch-in eagle on the par-4 16th which he followed with an ace on the par-3, 184-yard 17th, teeing all the way to just five yards from the pin until rolling down the drain.
A Rookie of the Year in the KPGA Tour in 2024, Song had a chance to putt for a rare 59 on the par-4 9th after reaching the green on third stroke only to settle for par.
He surrounded his eagle-ace brilliance with eight birdies against two bogeys to propel his ascent from joint 26th.
For Song, his flurry of birdies was the more telling tale than his highlight eagle-ace blitz. He pointed to his hail mary on the centerpiece 15th hole -- shortened to par 4 this week from a par-5 target with 494 yards-- where he a shot an unbelievable birdie from the bunker at about 15 to 20 yards to the pin as a key moment.
“I thought it’s one of the hardest holes so I just tried to put it out of the bunker but it ended up going in. I thought of a birdie in the next hole but it came out as an eagle and from that I just went with the flow until hitting that hole-in-one,” Song said through an interpreter.
“It’s an incredible day. I still can’t believe and can’t process what happened and how I played today.”
Lloyd Jefferson Go will lead the country’s remaining hopes entering the championship rounds of the $1-million event.
Go rose to No. 15 from a share of 26th at 138 with a two-under 68 recovery after a first-round 70.
“It’s definitely a dream,” said Go of winning the country’s national open.
“I started well. My game plan is to really just stay in the fairways so that I can attack the flag. That’s my game plan going into the final rounds.”
Go towed seven other Filipinos into the weekend play with Justin Quiban closely behind at joint 18th with 139 after a 70.
Former Philippine Open champion and Philippine Golf Tour titlist Angelo Que bombed out as his even-par comeback in Round 2 could not flip an opening five-over and get him through.
Que missed the 144 halfway cut by a mere stroke.