Puig, Kruger sizzle in International Series Macao
MACAO, China: David Puig finished birdie-birdie to grab a share of the lead at the International Series Macao with Jbe Kruger. One of 19 LIV golfers in the Asian Tour event, Spain’s Puig had a second-round 64 to go with his opening 65 for an 11-under par total while Kruger is on the same mark after a flawless seven-under 63.
“I guess playing a lot in a row helps just to score better,” said Puig, who is playing for a fourth straight week. “So hopefully, I can keep doing the same this weekend and take the trophy home.”
Kruger said it was his putter that kept him going and bogey-free.
“I’m making putts, that’s as much as I can say,” said the South African.
“I’m not really hitting many fairways. But when it’s on the green, I’m making them.”
Puig and Kruger are one ahead of LIV’s Mito Pereira, who is chasing a win that could help propel him to the 2024 Olympics.
Pereira followed his first-round 64 with a 66 to move to 10-under par, in a share of third place with Sweden’s Bjorn Hellgren on a packed leaderboard.
The cut fell at four-under-par, leaving the whole field separated by only seven shots going into the weekend.
Pereira is currently 41st on the Olympic Golf Rankings, with the top 60 making it to the Paris Games.
Saudi-bankrolled LIV Golf has invested $300 million in the Asian Tour — which unlike LIV receives world-ranking points — leading to the creation of the International Series of 10 enhanced prize money events.
Also in the hunt is Carlos Ortiz, another LIV player, who is two off the leaders as he chases a berth in Paris.
The Mexican won the first Asian Tour International Series event in Oman three weeks ago and had a 66 on Friday that took him to nineunder par.
Also on nine-under alongside Ortiz are Japan’s Yuta Sugiura and another LIV player, American Pat Perez, who both had three-under 6Ws.
Unheralded Swede Hellgren had a second consecutive 65 in the morning.
The first-round leader, Li Haotong of China, had a wild day and finished with a W2 that featured a quadruple bogey eight, two sixes and five birdies as he dropped back to five-under for the tournament.