Mamat, Korean 2 clear of field

CARMONA, Cavite—Singaporean veteran Mardan Mamat and young Korean Wang Jeung-hun, both with big career victories in the Philippines under their belts, rode scorching finishes yesterday to set the pace after two rounds in the $1-million Resorts World Manila Masters.

Mamat, who snapped a long victory slump by winning the 2012 Philippine Open at Wack Wack, birdied five of his last six holes for a four-under-par 68 and a 133 aggregate over the well-manicured Masters layout of Manila Southwoods here.

The PH Amateur champion in 2011 while still living in the country, Wang fired nine birdies in what he said was a “lucky 65” that boosted him to the top of an Asian Tour event for the first time in his career.

Mamat, the first-round co-leader with Japan’s Daisuke Kataoka, and Wang led by two shots over Thai ace Kiradech Aphibarnrat, who shot a 69.

Antonio Lascuña scrambled to a 71 and took over as the best-placed Filipino as Juvic Pagunsan faltered with a 73. But Angelo Que, which many thought would contend for the title, was a big disappointment again, missing the halfway cut by three shots.

Lascuña was six shots off the lead at 139 while Pagunsan lay a stroke farther back after struggling with three double bogeys and a bogey. He had played the first five holes at 3-under on three straight birdies from No. 3.

Que, the winner of a combined P14 million in his two previous events, couldn’t get going and settled for a 72. He shot a horrendous 76 in the first round.

All told, only nine of the 37 Filipino entries made it to the last two rounds, among them the revered Frankie Miñoza, who was at 144, and young Miguel Tabuena, who matched the halfway cut of 145.

The 36-hole casualties included former Philippine Open champions Cassius Casas (147) and Robert Pactolerin (152) and Mars Pucay (148), the winner of last week’s concluding leg of the ICTSI Tour.

The chubby Aphibarnrat had it at 10 under with two par-5s left on his last five holes, only to bogey the 14th and 18th holes.

Malaysian Danny Chia and Englishman Steve Lewton were four shots off after a 71 and 66, respectively, with Kataoka leading a huge bunch on 138s after a 73.

“I was very lucky today,” Wang said, referring to some breaks he had, including a wayward second shot on No. 10 that hit a TV camera post and ended up on the fairway for a great par save.