Wang shares lead after bogey-free round at Philippine Golf Championship

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Jeunghun Wang of South Korea shot a bogey-free two-under-par 70 to move into a share of the lead at five under during the second day of the Philippine Golf Championship at Wack Wack Golf & Country Club in Manila. Thursday, February 6, marked a chance for Wang to revisit the course where he made his first Asian Tour appearance 15 years ago as a 16-year-old amateur, which began his international golfing career.

Wang, who has won three times on the DP World Tour including the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, credited his off-season practice in Thailand for his controlled performance. “I hit a lot of fairways and my short irons have been pretty good this week. I’m really happy that I didn’t make any bogeys and hopefully I can keep not making bogeys on this course,” he said.

Jeunghun Wang shares the day-two lead at Wack Wack Golf & Country Club. [photo credit: Asian Tour]

Top contenders vie for the lead

Wang shares the lead with compatriot Wooyoung Cho, Thailand’s Sarut Vongchaisit, and Australian Travis Smyth. Cho started on the 10th hole and matched Wang’s 70, making birdies on the ninth and the par-three 17th, a notoriously challenging stretch. Cho said his confidence in his iron game helped him navigate the difficult hole successfully.

Sarut Vongchaisit, in his second season on the Asian Tour, overcame early bogeys with birdies on holes eight, 11, 12, and 14 to finish two under par. Travis Smyth made an eagle on the par-five 15th to temporarily take the lead at six under before a bogey three holes later brought him back into the pack.

Course strategy and preparation

Wang practiced at Wack Wack two weeks prior to the tournament to familiarize himself with the layout and focused on regulation play rather than aggressive shots. “I’m playing regulation, not aggressive, and it seems to be working well,” he said. Accuracy on the tight East Course has been key to his success and to maintaining his position atop the leaderboard.

South African Ian Snyman, Thailand’s Suteepat Prateeptienchai, and Japan’s Tomoyo Ikemura shared the US$10,000 prize sponsored by the club for the lowest round of the day. The cut was set at four over, reflecting the course’s challenging design.