TAGAYTAY. – Toru Nakajima took command with a gutsy 70 in blustery conditions, posting a two-stroke lead over erstwhile leader U Minn Woon and four others, including amateurs Gab Manotoc and Russell Bautista, halfway through the Philippine Golf Tour Q-School at Splendido Taal here Wednesday.
Nakajima, the 2013 PGT winner at Wack Wack who placed runner-up to Angelo Que in his last Tour stint at Anvaya Cove in 2017, used a hot backside start to recover from an opening 73, birdying the par-5 Nos. 10 and 11 then picking up another stroke on No. 3 while bucking the strong winds. He, however, fumbled with a bogey on No. 5 for nines of 36-34.
But he seized the solo lead at 143, towing 50 others to the final two rounds of the 72-hole eliminations offering 35 cards for this year’s PGT beginning with the ICTSI Negros Occidental Classic on March 15-18.
It was the comebacking Elmer Salvador, however, who made the biggest jump as the 2009 Order of Merit winner rattled off four birdies in a five-hole stretch from No. 2 on his way home to match Woon’s best 69 Tuesday. From the brink with an opening 80, Salvador, who also birdied Nos. 16 and 17 against a double-bogey on No. 18 and a bogey on the first hole, moved to joint ninth at 149 with Josh Jorge, who carded a 75.
Woon, who opened a two-shot lead over Nilo Salahog, actually tried to pull away with birdies on Nos. 2 and 6. But just when thought he had the firm and dry Splendido layout all figured out, he lost his rhythm and touch in high winds, bogeying Nos. 8 and 9, yielding more strokes on Nos. 12 and 14 and dropping two shots on the par-3 No. 17.
The 28-year-old Malaysian, who vied at home before competing here and will fly to Thailand next week, skied to a 76 and fell into a tie for second at 145 with Manotoc, Bautista, Salahog and Korean Hyun Ho Rho.
Manotoc, a former SEA Games national team member, rebounded from a 74 with a 71, anchoring his fightback with a closing frontside 35 marked by three birdies against two bogeys, while Bautista bucked a two-bogey mishap at the front with three straight birdies from No. 10.
