Shin sets course record 64, leads by 1
MICAH Shin took charge in a day of torrid scoring here at Summit Point, coming away with a fourbirdie spree on both nines to set a new course record 64 and seize a one stroke lead over Thai Donlaphatchai Niyomchon at the start of the ICTSI Summit Point World 18 Challenge in Lipa City, on Wednesday.
The lanky Korean- American actually came into the $100,000 Philippine Golf Tour Asia event without any expectations following a so-so showing in his return stint on the local circuit two weeks ago but thrived in the privacy of
up three straight birdies from No. 3 to spark a binge on a course that features 18 of the world’s most renowned golf holes.
“I had not been playing well lately and came here just trying to get back my feel,” said Shin, who shared 12th place in the
PGT in Davao and tied for 18th in the CAT Open of the PGT Asia at Luisita last week following a long campaign abroad.
But Niyomchon charged back
birdies at the back for a 65 as he moved past erstwhile secondrunning Joe Knox of England, who shot a frontside best 30 spiked by an eagle on No. 9 for a 66.
Fil-German Keanu Jahns, who
in the ICTSI Apo Classic of the PGT three weeks ago, also rallied with four birdies in the last seven holes at the front to shoot a 67 to tie Aussie Jack Lane-Weston, Japanese Rio Morio, Brett Munson of the US and reigning Philippine
Open champion Clyde Mondilla at fourth.
A couple of foreign bets pulled to within striking distance of Shin but faltered at the finish with American Sam Gillis blowing a seven- under card with a triplebogey on the par-4 No. 8 for a 68 and Taiwanese Yang
Fei Hao squandering a six-under card with three
for a 69.
Defending champion Joenard Rates likewise put himself in the mix with a bogey-free 68 for a
- ron, Rico Depilo, Anthony Fernando, Kammalas Namuangruk of Thailand and Gillis while Yang dropped to joint 16th with former Masters titlist Jerson Balasabas, Bebe Bouahom of Laos, Sydney Chung of the US, Fidel Concepcion of Australia, PGT Pueblo de Oro winner Reymon Jaraula, former Aboitiz Invitational winner Damien Jordan, also of Australia, obscure Teodoro Osabel, Japanese Yuta Sudo and Lindsay Renolds of Canada.
But Shin’s sizzling start stood out from among the 43 players who turned in under par rounds at the Robert Trent Jones Jr.-designed layout.
The Davao- based shotmaker, who has posted three big victories the last three years — the CAT Open in Luisita in 2016, in a regional tour event in 2017, and in The Country Club Invitational par-5s, four of which he birdied. He kept an unblemished card by saving par on the par-4 No. 15, the only green he missed in a day when the
Robert Trent
Jones Jr.- designed layout yielded
43 under par another four-footer on No. 10. He missed two eagle chances on Nos. 14 and 16 then closed out with another “gimme” on the 18th to match his career-best eight-under card he shot