CAVINTI, Laguna. – Rookie Aidric Chan put up another impressive performance, scoring a second straight two-under 70 to catch Tae Soo Kim at the helm midway through the ICTSI Caliraya Springs Championship at the Caliraya Springs Golf Club here Wednesday.
Chan, switching back to his old putter, displayed his skills with a birdie spree from No. 12 that highlighted his growing confidence and adaptability on the Philippine Golf Tour, overcoming a two-bogey miscue and finding himself sharing the spotlight in a power-packed field.
Despite an illustrious amateur career and a notable victory in the PGT Q-School in Davao, Chan’s pro debut was less than ideal, finishing 40th at the Apo Golf Classic. But he quickly recovered, securing a tie for eighth place at the Rancho Palos Verdes Championship, demonstrating his potential and determination to excel.
“I used a new putter in Davao and it helped in the first two weeks. But unfortunately, I wasn’t stroking the ball well in the next two weeks, so I went back to my old putter,” said Chan, whose four-under 140 total kept him in step with the young Korean.
After a solid 66 Tuesday, spiked by a near-flawless stint off the mound, Kim faced challenges with his driving accuracy in hot, windy conditions, leading to a 74 and a tie with Chan. His performance, marked by missed opportunities and a struggle to find fairways, sets the stage for a pivotal third round battle.
“I hit a lot of bad drives at the front nine and I wasn’t able to scramble at all, so I made three bogeys,” said Kim, referring to his mishaps on Nos. 1, 5 and 6. He dropped another stroke on the par-5 12th against birdies on Nos. 4 and 17.
“The wind was pretty strong but it didn’t affect my drives. I just missed them to the wrong side,” rued the 19-year-old Kim. “I just hope to hit more fairways and make more putts tomorrow (Thursday).”
The leaderboard is tightly packed with Clyde Mondilla (71), Keanu Jahns (71), Dino Villanueva (74) and Min Hyeok Yu, who fired the day’s best 68, all pooling 141s, and Angelo Que, eyeing his first PGT title in five years, also staying within striking distance at 142 despite a 73.
