Argentine wrests pace at Luisita after a 66

Shinichi Suzuki.–CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Angelo Que put things in the right perspective for all Filipinos—and everyone for that matter—who advanced to weekend play of the $100,000 BingoPlus Philippine ADT Open.

“As long as (we are) playing (in the final two rounds), the chance to win will always be there,” the 47-year-old Que, who submitted a second straight two-under-par 70 to be within six shots of the lead held by Argentine Franco Scorzato, told the Inquirer. “There’s still a lot of golf to be played.”

Scorzato, who has had Latino American PGA Tour experience, fired a 66 and will take a 134 aggregate into the money rounds, which he will start on Friday holding a one-shot lead over Chinese Taipei’s Su Ching-Hung and Japanese Naoki Sekito, who fired a 70 and 69, in that order, even as Sean Ramos is now alone as the best-placed Filipino after a 71 has him just five behind.

“I played OK today, but not as good as I wanted to,” Ramos said after losing a two-under card with bogeys on the 13th and 14th. “Still thankful to be in contention. (I need) to hit the ball closer to the holes (moving forward) to (easily) convert (attempts for) birdies during the weekend.”

Que is actually tied with amateur Shinichi Suzuki, the Filipino-Japanese who had a disappointing 72, and Rupert Zaragosa, who also had another 70.

The 18-year-old Suzuki made the turn at 32, but finished with a limp by dropping four shots inside his last four holes, two of them on the picturesque par-3 17th hole where he hit a tee shot that found the lagoon after spinning off the fringe.

“It’s a pretty disappointing way to finish a round,” Suzuki, who plays out of Manila Southwoods, said. “I kind of slowed down a bit, felt like I didn’t stay in the present in the back nine. I was looking to forward into the future.”

Only 15 Filipinos made weekend play, which was at level 144. Former PH Open winner Clyde Mondilla fired a 73 for 143, while Keanu Jahns and Jeff Lumbo made the cut on the number after shooting a 73 and 76, respectively.