CARMONA, Cavite – Sadom Kaewkanjana played the first round of the $500,000 Smart Infinity Philippine Open without a blemish, shooting a five-under-par 65 for a one-shot lead over two of his countrymen and a Swede on Thursday at a Manila Southwoods course that bedeviled the talented field.
“I played very solid today and had many opportunities for birdies,” Kaewkanjana, a 26-year-old, two-time winner on the Asian Tour, said after a solid round that saw him miss just one fairway and one green on a wind-swept day at Southwoods’ Masters course.
Aidric Chan and Sean Ramos flew the flag for the host nation as Philippine No. 1 Miguel Tabuena, fellow former Philippine Open champion Angelo Que and lady amateiur Rianne Malixi all had their troubles over the 7,138-yard layout, which was reduced to a par-70 for the revival of Asia’s oldest Open.
Chan and Ramos, young pros who played their amateur careers out of the host club, submitted 68s to carry the fight for the Philippines.
Tabuena, who says that this tournament which he has won twice holds a special place in his heart, fired a 74 and was the first to say that he needs to do something special in the second round on Friday to make the weekend.
“It was one of those days,” the 30-year-old Tabuena, who had a double bogey, five bogeys and three birdies, said. “I wasn’t as sharp as I wanted to be. For some reason I wasn’t comfy out there today.
“Anything under par (for the second round),” Tabuena said when asked what it would take to ensure playing in the final two days.
Justin delos Santos and Que went separate ways in the morning when conditions could be considered benign, with Delos Santos matching par “while leaving a few ones out there,” and Que shooting a 76 marred by two double bogeys.
“Good thing is that there’s still a second round to be played,” Que, the 2008 champion, said.
Meanwhile, Malixi stood defiant in what she described as a “brutal day,” as she submitted a 75 to be 10 shots off the lead and also be in the bubble for the halfway cut.
“I was hitting it straight and pretty much rolling the ball well,” Malixi, who turns 18 on March 9, told reporters. “I just had four bad holes and that practically was my round. Right now I am in the gray area, I just have to find more fairways (in the second round) to have a chance (of advancing).”
Danthai Boonma also returned a bogey-free round of 66, tied with another Thai in Pavit Tangkamolprasert and Swede Aaron Wilkin, who missed claiming a tie for the lead in a late-afternoon flight when he failed to birdie the par-5 eighth.
Delos Santos, the Japan Tour standout, salvaged a 70 even after failing to cash in on several birdie opportunities coming home.
“I sure left a couple of strokes out there today,” Delos Santos said. “It played really tough out there.”
