Tabuena still up by 1; PH golfers cling to 2nd

GUANGZHOU—Young Miguel Tabuena matched his opening round of 4-under-par 68 to keep his one-stroke lead even as the Philippines barely clung to second place at the halfway mark of the 16th Asian Games golf tournament here.

The 16-year-old Tabuena preserved his slim advantage over South Korean Kim Meen-whee with a 3-under 33 on the back nine that gave him a 7-under 136 total after 36 holes at the Dragon Lake Golf Club.

Kim, spearhead of the Korean team that now seemed unchallenged for the gold with a 17-stroke margin after two rounds, also fired a 68 capped by a birdie on the 18th for a 137 aggregate.

“Miguel is the story of this tournament,” said PH men’s coach Tommy Manotoc. “He’s playing really mature for his age. He simply went for the fairways and for the greens and simply made those putts drop.”

Tabuena’s heroics allowed the Filipinos to stay in second place at 435, just a stroke ahead of India which rallied with the day’s second best output of 209 as Rashid Khan also shot a 68.
             

Jerson Balasabas carded a 74 and either one of the 75 of national champion Mark Fernando and Carlos Marcel Puyat counted for the Nationals, who assembled a 217 for the day.

 Khan went on to advance to third in the individual race at 139 in a tie with Korean Lee Jae-hyeok, who had a 70.

“It’s good that the team is doing better,” Manotoc said. “We’ll keep on fighting and hopefully, we’re good for a medal.”
             

But the PH women’s team continued to struggle and dropped to sixth place at 18 over, 21 shots behind new leader Korea.

 Mia Piccio again paced the team with a 74 and Chichiro Ikeda added a 75. Dottie Ardina failed to count anew with a 76. 
          

Kim, who trailed Tabuena by one in the first round with a 69, battled the Filipino shot for shot on the front nine, briefly taking the lead with a birdie on the ninth for a 34 as Miguel bogeyed the hole for a 35.
          

But Tabuena birdied three times in a four-hole stretch from No. 11 to grab the lead by three strokes. 
        

He bogeyed the 15th but birdied the 17th for a 33 coming home while Kim, who bogeyed No. 10, rallied with two birdies on his last four holes to move within one with another 34.
    
Aware that he is being pursued by a pack of talented shotmakers just waiting for him to collapse under pressure, Tabuena said he’ll just do his best to salvage a medal.

Thailand, which outclassed the Philippines in retaining its Putra Cup crown last September, was tied for fourth this time at 441 with Japan as Hideki Matsuyama, the reigning Asian amateur champ, did not count with a 77.