DAVAO – Ozeki Kakeru had perhaps the round of his life going with four holes to go. He had four birdies and an eagle and was six-under par when he reached the par 3 15th. But the gods of golf had other plans. When his last stroke fell in, he had posted a quadruple bogey 7.
Thankfully, the Japanese birdied the 18th hole and it somehow assuaged the bitterness of the 15th. Even better, it gave Kakeru a share of the first-round lead in the Philippine Golf Tour Q-School at the South Pacific Golf and Leisure Estates on Tuesday.
Kakeru scored a three-under-par 69, the same output turned in by Kuresh Samanodi, as the duo set the pace by a stroke in the chase for 30 cards in the Philippine Golf Tour which commences in two weeks' time.
Kakeru's round featured birdies on Nos. 1, 7, 9 and 14 and an eagle on the par-5 No. 12, while Samanodi, rode on an eagle-birdie-birdie run from No. 7 for his 69.
Drew Proctor, an amateur from the US, was a stroke behind, in solo third, his bid for a share of the lead derailed by a double bogey on the 18th as he settled for a 70.
Samanodi, who played in a few PGT events last year, said good course management is the key as he emphasized the importance of hitting fairways and making some putts.
“You can’t force to make a birdie here at South Pacific,” said Samanodi, who made the cut in last year's qualifying.
Amateur Aidric Chan, coming off a victory with the Manila Southwoods squad in the Interclub tournament in Cagayan de Oro last Sunday, hit three birdies but had a bogey and double-bogey for a 72 and shared fourth place with Thai Saksit Jairak, Kei Matsuoka of Japan, American Collin Wheeler and local amateur Edmar Salvador, Jr.
Korean Gwon Minwook shot one birdie against a double bogey on No. 16 for solo ninth at 73 while Korean amateurs Tae Won Kim and Hyeok Min Yu matched 74s for a share of 10th.
The qualifying is four days of golf with the top 60 advancing to the last two rounds. A total of 108 players, including 37 foreigners, are taking part in the eliminations.
Notable Filipino contenders are Randy Garalde, Ivan Monsalve, Carlos Packing, Elmer Saban, and amateur Michael Uy, who all carded 75s, the same output put in by Korean Tae Soo Kim.
Jelbert Gamolo, Joseph Labajo, Allan Remata and amateur Lanz Uy carded identical 76s to join former two-time Q-School topnotcher Toru Nakajima of Japan and amateur Kota Fukuyama, while Eric Gallardo posted a 77 for joint 25th with Emilio Panimdim, Jr., Brent Sumampon and Korean Chon Koo Kang.
Luis Bagtas, Ramil Bisera, amateur Ryan Monsalve, Jonas Magcalayo, Ebarra Quiachon turned in similar 78s for joint 29th with Japan’s Koji Inoue and Tennoshin Ogawa.
Meanwhile, the comebacking pair of Mhark Fernando and Edward Reyes struggled with 82s and stood below the cutoff line at joint 61st, alongside Nelson Huerva, James Flores, Jeffrey Pito-on, Reynante Manulat, Korean Myung Chal Hwang and Japanese Masashi Kawaguchi.
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