Quiban, Tabuena trail by 5 in Black Mountain Championship golf tilt

MANILA, Philippines — Justin Quiban carded a solid 69, highlighted by two birdies on a strong front nine finish at the Black Mountain Championship in Hin Lek Fai, Thailand.

However, the Filipino ace could only settle for a tie for 56th after Thursday's first round, with several players still out on the course completing their rounds at the Black Mountain Golf Club.

Facing an elite field, Quiban put up a respectable showing on the defenseless par-72 layout, which was ripe for low scores in the absence of wind. The $2-million tournament, part of the International Series circuit, saw numerous players take advantage of the benign conditions to post impressive rounds.

Thailand's Charng-Tai Sudsom and China's Liu Yanwei led the early charge, both firing bogey-free eight-under-par 64s. Australia’s Todd Sinnott followed closely with an eagle and seven birdies against a lone bogey, joining them atop the leaderboard.

American Pierre-Henri Soero was poised to challenge for the first-round lead, standing at eight-under with four holes left to play at press time.

The low scoring theme continued throughout the day as local favorite Poosit Supupramai joined five others at seven-under 65. Three more players matched 66s, while 10 others shot 67s, setting a blistering pace and laying the foundation for a low-scoring week.

Starting on the back nine, Quiban opened with two birdies against a single bogey, adding consecutive birdies on Nos. 1 and 2 as he made the turn. A missed opportunity came on the par-5 sixth, where he three-putted for par.

Overall, Quiban hit nine fairways and reached 14 greens in regulation, tallying 29 putts in his round.

Looking to bounce back after missing the cut at the Macao Open last week, Quiban’s effort kept him in contention, albeit in the middle of the pack.

Meanwhile, Miguel Tabuena's round was a rollercoaster. An eagle on the par-5 fifth seemed to set him up for success, but bogeys on Nos. 4, 9, and 11 hampered his progress late in the day.

Back-to-back birdies from No. 12 helped him regain momentum, and despite a bogey on the 15th, Tabuena, who rallied to fourth place in Macau, closed strong with three straight birdies to join Quiban in a tie for 56th.