PHNOM PENH. – Paolo Wong failed to recover from a frontside struggle and faltered with a 75, tumbling from joint third to a share of 19th in men’s play, while the ladies tandem of Lois Kaye Go and Rianne Malixi stayed too far behind despite a pair of 68s in the second round of the golf competitions of the 32nd Southeast Asian Games here Tuesday.
Although Enrique Dimayuga bounced back strong from an opening 73 with a near-impeccable 68 in hot conditions, the new national team member remained seven strokes adrift of a steady Khanh Hung Le, who broke away from a first round tie with Malaysian Malcolm Hung with a 65 behind a solid eagle-spiked backside 31.
The Vietnamese took the solo lead with a 10-under 134 total but braced for a daunting challenge in the last 18 holes as Ratchanon Chantananuwat bettered Le’s seven-under card with a 64, also highlighted by an eagle on the par-5 No. 11, as the fancied Thai, winner of an Asian Tour event last year, moved threateningly close at 136 for joint second with Malaysian Anzon Xiang, who also shot an eight-under card.
Hung slipped to fourth at 137 after a 68 even as Dimayuga moved from tied 15th to a share of seventh with Vietnam’s Dang Minh Nguyen, who shot a 69, but seven shots behind Le at 141.
Aidric Chan also recovered with a 68 but still stood far off at joint 15th at 144 while Wong fumbled with a frontside 39 marred by a double-bogey on the par-5 No. 8 to fall to a share of 19th with teammate Jaden Dumdumaya, who carded a 71.
In women’s play, Thai Eila Galitsky moved on the threshold of an expected gold medal finish with a 66 as she grabbed the lead at 135, one stroke ahead of erstwhile leader Ng Jing Xuen of Malaysia, who slowed down with a 69 after a 67 for a 136, setting the stage for a final round shootout with the reigning Women’s Amateur Asia Pacific champion.
Singapore’s Aloysa Atienza rallied with a 68 to seize solo third at 139 but remained four strokes off Galitsky while Go and Malixi improved to a share of fifth at 142 with Navaporn Soontreeyapas, also of Thailand, who put in a 70, behind the fourth-running Foong Zi Yu of Malaysia, who assembled a 141 after a 69.
Go pressed her bid with a fiery backside 32 but settled for a one-bogey, one-birdie card at the front for a 68 while Malixi, whose campaign is backed by ICTSI, birdied three of the last five holes to submit her own version of a four-under round.
