TEAM Philippines put itself in championship mix of the 31st Nomura Cup, as Rolando Bregente and Jet Hernandez combined for a two-under-par 142 aggregate to be tied with powerhouse Japan, just two shots behind surprise first-round leader Hong Kong at Bayhood No. 9 Golf Club in Beijing, China.
Bregente gunned down four birdies in shooting a three-under-par 69 and was left to rue Hernandez' struggles on the greens on the way to a 73. Shin Suzuki failed to count after a 75, but the Filipinos still finished ahead of 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, when 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."
READ Philippine team likes its chances as 31st Nomura Cup tees off
Jeffrey Shen and Markus Zachary Lam returned 70s to comprise scoring for HK while Taisei Nagasaki and Mao Matsuyama fired 71s to make up the Japanese score as they threw away the 73 of Kaito Sato. Ethan Tian's 73 for HK-China also did not count.
"Yeah, I had a rough putting day," Hernandez, the National Strokeplay chapmpion back home, said. "I thought I committed and visualized really well and was starting (my putts) on line and rolling really good. Bit they just didn't drop today."
He remained confident that things will be better from the second round onwards, especially after playing the course with all the pressure.
"Am not too worried about it, though," the incoming psychology senior at University of Denver added. "They'll eventually drop."
The Philippines, which helped start this event together with Japan and Chinese Taipei in 1963, has not won the Nomura Cup. It has two second-place finishes.
But this team looks to be the best prepared trio that the country has sent in years.
Host China is three shots behind the joint second placers at 145 after getting a 72 from Jing Guo Chi and a 73 from Hao Yi wang, to tie the Vietnamese, who won this event in upset style at home in 2024.
Tuan Anh Nguyen fired a 72 and Huy Anh Ho accounted for a 73, Thailand is another shot back with New Zealand seven strokes off the pace.
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