Sadom Kaewkanjana of Thailand navigated the challenging afternoon conditions on Friday with poise, carding a four-under-par 66 to extend his lead at the Smart Infinity Philippine Open to three strokes.
Meanwhile, Justin Quiban emerged as the top local contender with a record-breaking performance.
Kaewkanjana, a 26-year-old with two Asian Tour titles, recorded six birdies and two bogeys, finishing his round just before dusk. This brought his two-day total to 131, placing him three strokes ahead of American Micah Shin, who took advantage of calmer morning conditions to shoot a 65.
“I’m very happy with how I played today, especially recovering from two back-nine bogeys,” said Kaewkanjana, who had a bogey-free 65 in the first round. “I’ll stick to the same approach for the final two days and hopefully keep the momentum going.”
Quiban, on the other hand, set a course record at the Manila Southwoods Masters, which played as a par-70 for the first time. His eagle-fueled round of 64 put him six shots off the lead heading into the weekend.
“My driver was the key today; I hit it really well,” Quiban said when asked about the difference between his first-round 73 and the stellar 64. “I’m happy with my performance and looking forward to staying in contention.”
Quiban’s highlight came on the par-5 8th, where he hit a 6-iron from 219 yards to within tap-in range for an eagle. Despite being thrust into the spotlight as the leading Filipino contender after several local favorites missed the cut, Quiban embraced the challenge.
“Not at all,” he replied when asked if he felt added pressure.
Among the big names who failed to advance were 2008 champion Angelo Que, Philippine Golf Tour Order of Merit winner Antonio Lascuña, and 17-year-old Rianne Malixi.
Shin, who grew up in Davao, tallied seven birdies against two bogeys for a 134 total, sitting three shots off the lead.
Sweden’s Aaron Wilkin and Japan’s Tomoyo Ikemura followed closely at 135 after shooting 69 and 66, respectively.
Miguel Tabuena made the cut on the number at 142 after a second-round 68, while Justin delos Santos, a Japan Tour campaigner, shot a 69 to sit eight shots back.
Sean Ramos, who started with a 68, briefly held a share of the lead at six-under overall after nine holes. However, he stumbled on the back nine and settled for a 70, placing him just one stroke behind Quiban’s group.
Asian Tour rookie Aidric Chan, who also opened with a 68, shot a 71 on Friday to join delos Santos and Eric Gallardo in a group of 12 players tied at 139.
Malixi, the lone female competitor and the first woman to play in the Open in over two decades, bowed out after shooting a 72.
“If given the chance again, I’ll definitely play,” Malixi said. “It was an incredible experience for me.”
