Kakeru, Samanodi gain share of lead in PGT Q-School golf tilt opener

DAVAO – Ozeki Kakeru recovered from a quadruple bogey on No. 15 with a birdie on the 17th, saving a 69 and share of the lead with Kuresh Samanodi at the start of the Philippine Golf Tour Q-School at the South Pacific Golf and Leisure Estates here Tuesday.

Both spiked their three-under cards with eagles but Kakeru missed seizing early control with that “7” on the par-3 15th, ruining what could’ve been a flawless start for the Japanese, who dominated the challenging layout with a blistering six-under card after 14 holes.

That featured birdies on Nos. 1, 7, 9 and 14 and an eagle on the par-5 No. 12. But he hit a couple of errant shots on the par-3 15th, leading to a 7 although his late birdie kept him in step with Sumanodi, who rode on a fiery eagle-birdie-birdie run from No. 7 to fuel his drive for one of the coveted 30 berths in this year’s circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc.

Kakeru, a first timer here with a previous tournament win in 2018 back home, expressed satisfaction with his performance, labeling it the “best score here.”

Sumanodi, meanwhile, yielded a stroke on the 12th against a run of pars to produce a 32-37 for an early share of the lead with the Japanese, a stroke ahead of amateur Drew Proctor of the US, who also flourished with a bogey-free four-under card after 10 holes, only to surrender a shot on the 12th.

Though he regained the stroke with another birdie on the 17th, Proctor hobbled at the finish, double-bogeying the par-5 18th to slip to solo third at 70.

Samonodi, who participated in a few PGT events last year, emphasized the importance of playing his game, hitting fairways and making crucial putts.

“You can’t force to make a birdie here at South Pacific,” said Samanodi, who made the cut here last year.

Amateur Aidric Chan, coming off a victory with the Manila Southwoods squad in the Interclub tournament in Cagayan de Oro last Sunday, hit three birdies to overcome a bogey and double-bogey for a 72 as he shared fourth place with Thai Saksit Jairak, Kei Matsuoka of Japan, American Collin Wheeler and local amateur Edmar Salvador Jr.

Korean Gwon Minwook shot one birdie against a double bogey on No. 16 for solo ninth at 73 while