DAVAO CITY – Lee Song turned an early eagle and a blistering birdie run into a bogey-free 65, storming to a one-shot lead over Gab Manotoc halfway through the ICTSI South Pacific Classic on Wednesday at the South Pacific Golf Club.
Recovering from a late-round mistake in his opening card, Song assembled a 12-under-par 132 total to move ahead of Manotoc, who carded a 67 to stay firmly in contention for a first title. Sean Ramos likewise kept himself in the title hunt with a 66 for 134.
With 36 holes remaining in the P2.5-million championship, the leaderboard remained tightly bunched, promising a compelling battle over the final two rounds.
READ Gab Manotoc seizes spotlight with an opening 66 at South Pacific
Clyde Mondilla shot a 69 for 136, while Fidel Concepcion fought back with a 68 for 137. Angelo Que mounted a strong comeback with a 66 to join Guido van der Valk, Reymon Jaraula and Keanu Jahns, who matched 67s, amateur Jacob Rolida (71) and Russell Bautista (72) in a crowded group at 139.
For Song, the surge marked a timely response to the double bogey on the par-5 18th that marred his opening-round effort Tuesday. Despite making seven birdies, the miscue denied him the solo lead and allowed Manotoc and Kashihara Hirotaka to seize a share of the top spot with matching 66s.
“I don’t think about the lead. I just play my game,” said Song, a former Philippine Golf Tour Q-School topnotcher, in halting English. “I just hit it safely off the tee and hit my irons onto the greens. I took advantage of some birdie opportunities and made my pars, avoiding bogeys.”
His steady showing has been a hallmark of his campaign, having made the cut in all eight legs of the current PGT season. A tie for eighth at Pinewoods remains his best finish, but his latest performance has put him in position to break through for a bigger result.
Manotoc continued to build on his impressive start, extending his bogey-free run to 36 holes. He maintained his momentum despite a frontside 34, picking up three birdies over his last nine holes to briefly seize the solo lead at 11-under before Song came in with his decisive finish.
“It was kind of similar, limiting my mistakes,” said the son of golf great Tommy Manotoc. “I think I played a little better today although I came a stroke short compared to yesterday. But two days, it’s pretty solid."
“For sure, this is the lowest I’ve gone for two rounds – not the best ball-striking, but the best score. I think putting really stands out,” he added.
The performance has bolstered Manotoc’s confidence, although he knows the challenge is far from over.
“It’s nice to score this good, for sure the confidence is there, but it’s a new day tomorrow. I’ll just continue what I’m doing,” he said, acknowledging that recovery and conversion were crucial to his round.
“I hit some bad shots, but I was able to recover. And when I have the opportunities, I was able to convert them,” he added.
Fresh from a breakthrough Asian Development Tour victory and a run of competitive appearances abroad, including on the Asian Tour in Macau last week, Ramos delivered a bogey-free round to stay within striking distance of another PGT title.
The constant travel between tournaments has tested his stamina, Ramos admitted, but he has continued to manage the demands of competing across different countries and courses.
“The travel can be tiring, especially with the constant movement from one country to another, but I’m still managing,” he said.
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