Team Philippines put itself in the championship mix at the 31st Nomura Cup, as Rolando Bregente and Jet Hernandez combined for a two-under-par 142 to tie powerhouse Japan, just two shots behind surprise first-round leader Hong Kong China at Bayhood No. 9 Golf Club in Beijing, China.
Known for his fast starts and low scores, Bregente carded four birdies en route to a three-under-par 69. Hernandez, meanwhile, struggled on the greens but still managed a respectable 73, while Shin Suzuki’s 75 did not count as the Philippines moved up the leaderboard against traditional powers China, Australia, Thailand, and defending champion Vietnam.
“This only confirms the thoughts of the team that we really have a solid shot at winning this,” the 24-year-old Bregente said in Filipino. His only bogey came on the 16th hole, where he three-putted from about 25 feet.
“The greens are the main defense of the course, and I saw Jet (Hernandez) struggle with his putting.”
Jeffrey Shen and Markus Zachary Lam each returned a 70 to make up Hong Kong China’s score, while Taisei Nagasaki and Mao Matsuyama fired matching 71s for Japan, with Kaito Sato’s 73 not counting.
Ethan Tian’s 73 likewise did not count for Hong Kong China.
“Yeah, I had a rough putting day,” said Hernandez, the reigning National Strokeplay champion. “I thought I committed and visualized really well and was starting (my putts) on line and rolling really good. But they just didn’t drop today.”
Despite the struggles, Hernandez remained confident that his putting would improve from the second round onward, especially after getting a feel for the course under competitive pressure.
“Am not too worried about it, though,” added the incoming psychology senior at the University of Denver. “They’ll eventually drop.”
The Philippines, which helped establish the Nomura Cup alongside Japan and Chinese Taipei in 1963, has yet to win the prestigious team event. The country has finished runner-up twice.
This year’s squad, however, appears to be among the best-prepared trios the Philippines has sent in years.
“He was in the flight behind me, and I basically saw his entire round,” Bregente said of Hernandez. “He was hitting it dead straight on the fairways but just wasn’t able to hole putts. But I know that he will bounce back.”
China sits three strokes behind the joint second-placers at 145 after Jing Guo Chi carded a 72 and Hao Yi Wang a 73, putting the Chinese level with Vietnam, which won the event in upset fashion on home soil in 2024.
Tuan Anh Nguyen shot a 72, and Huy Anh Ho added a 73 for Vietnam, while Thailand sits another stroke back. New Zealand is seven strokes off the pace.
