American Sam Gillis shot a six-under-par 66 to seize a one-stroke lead over Finland’s Janne Kaske and Thai Nirun Sae Ueng at the start of the PGT Asia Qualifying School at Luisita Golf and Country Club in Tarlac on Wednesday.
Gillis charged home at the front with three birdies in the last four holes to get past Kaske and Sae Ueng in the 72-hole tournament which drew a full-packed field of 132 players vying for top 40-plus slots.
Kaske also had a six-under card built around a three-birdie string from No. 4 but bogeyed the seventh and dropped to joint second with Sae Ueng, who anchored his opening round bid with a backside 31, highlighted by a four-birdie binge from No. 15.
He birdied the second to likewise go six-under but dropped two strokes on the par-4 No. 3 before holing out with a birdie on the ninth.
The foreign bets dominated action in scorching heat as the locals struggled at the tight, hazard-laden layout with Richnell Albano and Francis Morilla carding identical 72s to emerge the leading Filipino bidders after 18 holes.
Meanwhile, Korean Tom Kim (Kim Joo Hyung), opting to go big-time at 18 after a dominant stint in the amateurs, including the recent Philippine Am Open in January and the WExpress RVF Cup in February which he both ruled, turned in a bogey-free 69.