Philippine Open golf: Quiban vaults into contention, fires eagle-spiked 64

(UPDATED 5:47 P.M.) CARMONA, Cavite – Justin Quiban stormed back into the spotlight with a sensational solid six-under 64, propelling himself into strong contention halfway through the Philippine Open at Manila Southwoods still led by Sadom Kaewkanjana here on Friday.

The in-form Thai followed up his lead-grabbing 65 on Thursday with an impressive 66, extending his overnight one-stroke lead to three, this time over Micah Shin, who briefly held the clubhouse lead at 134 after carding a five-under round in near-perfect morning conditions.

However, Kaewkanjana surged into the clubhouse with a four-under card, securing an aggregate score of 131.

Kaewkanjana overcame a slow start and dominated the Masters’ front nine, notching four birdies for an impressive 31. Although he stumbled with bogeys on Nos. 11 and 14, he recovered with birdies on two of the final three holes to solidify his lead.

With two rounds remaining in the kickoff event of this year’s Asian Tour, which features a total prize fund of $500,000, Kaewkanjana is firmly in control.

Meanwhile, Quiban’s resilient effort underscored the determination of the one-time PGA Tour campaigner, who bounced back after an inconsistent start on Thursday, where he battled both the wind and the sleek greens to card a disappointing 73.

Quiban's remarkable second-round effort featured two birdies on the back nine (Nos. 11 and 18) where he teed off, and two more at the front (Nos. 2 and 7) before gunning down an eagle on the par-5 eighth. His performance elevated him from a tie for 60th to joint 10th at three-under 137, six shots behind Kaewkanjana.

On the other hand, Shin, whose game flourished in Davao, took the challenger’s role with a brilliant 65, highlighted by seven birdies that erased two bogeys for a 33-32 card.

Making the most of near-ideal morning conditions, Shin, winner of the 2018 The Country Club Invitational, strung together five birdies over a seven-hole stretch starting from the eighth. After a misstep on the 15th, he finished strong with a birdie on the last hole, showcasing power and accuracy with 11 fairways and 15 greens hit in regulation.

He capped his stellar round with just 28 putts, including a crucial par save on No. 4.

Quiban, a three-time winner on the PGT and a 2021 qualifier for the PGA Tour’s 3M Open, delivered a remarkably consistent performance. He missed only one fairway and hit all greens in regulation. However, he needed 31 putts, missing several birdie opportunities that could have brought him closer to Shin's lead.

While Quiban rekindled local hopes, several Filipino contenders faltered.

Sean Ramos, briefly tied for the lead at six-under after a four-birdie surge on the back nine, stumbled on the front nine with three bogeys, carding a 70 for a two-under total of 138 in joint 20th, while Justin delos Santos fought back with a 69 to join Aidric Chan, who hobbled with a 71, at 139 for a share of 26th with seven others.

Amateur and club favorite Shinichi Suzuki shot a 69 for a 142, the cutoff score. Two-time champion and pre-tournament favorite Miguel Tabuena rallied with a strong 68 after an opening 74, securing one of the final berths into the last 36 holes of Asia’s oldest championship.

Also scraping through was LJ Go, who shot a 70 for a 142 total.

Meanwhile, several notable names fell short of the cut, including Chase Koepka of the United States (72-144), Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho (73-145), and former champion Clyde Mondilla. Other prominent Filipino golfers who missed the mark included Reymon Jaraula (73-147), Tony Lascuña (74-147) and Angelo Que (76-151).