Tabuena fails to make cut in spite of 68

Miguel Tabuena fought hard but fell just short, missing the halfway cut of the PGA Tour’s Sony Open by two shots despite shooting a two-under-par 68 on Friday (Saturday in Manila) at Waialae Golf Course in Honolulu.

Tabuena, who won the Philippine Open last month at Luisita in Tarlac, had four birdies against two bogeys for a 139 tally in the event now being paced by American Brandt Snedeker.

Tabuena could look back at a roller-coaster 71 in the first round as the reason for failing to achieve his goal coming to Hawaii.

Scoring conditions were ideal that a total of 87 players from the 144-strong field made the halfway cut, meaning there will be another cut done after the third round on Saturday.

Using a new driver and a new swing, Snedeker carved out a 65 for a 36-hole 128 total and zoomed out ahead by a stroke over Kevin Kisner, who fired a 66 and fell behind mainly because of a two-shot swing on the 12th, where Snedeker drained a 35-foot putt for birdie.  Kisner had a five-footer for par but muffed it.

Reigning British Open champ Zach Johnson, fired a 66, and Luke Donald assembled 65 to be two shots off the lead, with Vijay Singh, the 53-year-old veteran who held a piece of the opening round lead, shooting a 69 to be four strokes behind.  With reports from Musong R. Castillo, AP