Thailand’s Sarit Suwannarut kept his foot on the gas, extending his lead to four strokes at the halfway mark of the US$2 million International Series Philippines after carding a six-under-par 66 at the Sta. Elena Golf Club.

The two-time International Series champion built on his opening 64 to reach 14-under overall, staying ahead of Filipino contender Miguel Tabuena, who delighted local fans with a brilliant 65 that featured a hole-in-one and an eagle within three holes. Japanese standout Kazuki Higa joined Tabuena at 10-under after a steady 69.

Suwannarut stays composed under pressure

Despite finding trouble on his opening hole, Suwannarut recovered with a birdie that set the tone for another solid round. “It helped a lot,” he said. “After I hit the tee shot, I didn’t even know where it was. Luckily, I got a good lie and made a birdie. It kept the momentum going from yesterday.”

Suwannarut, who made just one bogey in each of his first two rounds, emphasized his focus on consistency. “You just have to focus only on what you have to do. I know my game well, and I’ve just tried to stay calm and focus on what I need to do. So far, it’s been working nicely.”

England’s Steve Lewton fired the lowest round of the tournament so far—a bogey-free 63—to bounce back from his opening 74, while players from nine countries made up the top 10, underscoring the event’s global depth.

Tabuena thrills home crowd with ace and eagle

Tabuena, who began his round from the 10th tee, surged after holing his tee shot on the par-three 14th before eagling the par-five 16th. He added birdies on the 18th, second, and third holes to finish with a sizzling 65.

“It’s not every day you make a hole-in-one, but I was glad I kept it together after that,” said Tabuena, a three-time Asian Tour champion. “It’s been six years since my last one and only the second in competition. It was nice that it happened here at my home club.”

The Filipino star admitted easing off late in the round but said his goal was achieved. “The plan was to get back in position for moving day tomorrow,” he added.

Meanwhile, Higa, currently second on the Asian Tour Order of Merit, mixed five birdies with two bogeys for his 69. “I struggled a lot on the greens but stayed patient,” he said.

Former world No. 1 Dustin Johnson, a headliner in the field, faltered with a one-over 73 after a double bogey on the par-five eighth, falling off the pace.

The International Series Philippines is the sixth of nine elevated events on the 2025 Asian Tour calendar.