No K-Drama
CARMONA—Song Min-hyuk knows exactly what kind of effort anyone would need to even come close to taking the Philippine Open title out of his hands as he comes into the final round on Sunday holding a commanding seven-shot lead.
“If anybody can shoot a 60 like I did (in the second round),” Song told an interpreter when asked by the Inquirer if there was still a way for him to lose with 18 holes left in the 108th playing of Asia’s oldest national open. “But then again, I will play well again to make sure that I win.”
The talented 22-year-old South Korean fired a five-under-par 65 as a follow-up to that eye-popping second round effort, as he continued to smoke the field at the Masters layout of the Manila Southwoods here that he has solved with uncanny ease the last two rounds.
That performance practically robbed the hunt for the top prize of the $1-million (around P64 million) tournament of suspense, and assured Song of a good rest ahead of the final round.
“I think I will be able to sleep very, very deep tonight,” he added after shooting six birdies against a bogey for a 54-hole 195, with Sarit Suwannarut of Thailand now seven back despite firing a 68.
The best Filipino challenger, Justin Quiban, is nine shots back in the tournament presented by the Philippine Sports Commission.
The long-hitting Quiban needed to birdie the 18th to shoot a similar 65 and not lose ground, even as Sean Ramos churned out the round of the day, a 64, that had him blowing into top five contention, but at 10 shots off the lead.
And both Filipinos said they will not attack differently on Sunday as they set out to do what many feel is impossible—toppling the current leader.
“Not at all,” Quiban, who had seven birdies against two bogeys in his most impressive round of the week, told the Inquirer when asked if he will play the final round more aggressively. “I will stick to how I know I can play the course and accept later on what God gives us.”
Ramos, on the other hand, was faultless in carving out his round. He has played the last 36 holes at nine-under-par and is primed for the best Asian Tour finish of his young career.
He, too, does not believe that he needs to attack the course he calls home differently.
“There’s no need to depart from the game plan,” Ramos, who is also 22 like the leader, told the Inquirer in a separate interview. “If there’s a chance to win, of course, I would take that.
“And if … I finish short and end up second or whatever, then that’s okay,” he added.
Song, who will take home $180,000 (around P11.5 million), was so clinical on moving day that he had four birdies in his first 10 holes to set the tone. The only blemish on his third-round card came on the 11th, where he three-putted from about 35 feet.
But he bounced back from that by draining one from about 25 feet on the 16th, before closing out with his sixth birdie of the day on the 18th.
Ham Jeong-woo will be in the thick of the chase for runner-up honors after firing a 66 that had him trailing Suwannarut and Quiban by a shot. Ham leads Ramos’ six-man group by two.
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