Que recalls form, fires 68 for joint 17th

MANILA, Philippines – Angelo Que finally hit form after a long spell, carding a 68 and moving to joint 17th midway through the Volvo China Open now paced by Eugenio Chacarra of Spain at the Hidden Grace Golf Club in Shenzen Friday.

The amiable Filipino shotmaker actually missed breaking into Top 10 as he hobbled at the finish, dropping two strokes on No. 15 and failing to get up-and-down on the par-3 next after going seven-under after 14 holes.

He earlier snapped a four-par game with birdies on Nos. 5 and 6 and closed out the frontside with back-to-back feats for a 32. Bristling with confidence, the three-time Asian Tour winner gained another stroke on No. 11 then birdied Nos. 13 and 14 for a share of fourth.

But a couple of mishits and missed putts led to a double bogey on the 470-yard par-4 15th and he barely recovered his bearing on the next before one-putting for pars in the last two holes.

Still, his 68 and a 140 proved enough to put him in the hunt after mediocre 72 as he joined Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell, who also turned in a four-under card, at 17th along with five others, five strokes behind Chacarra, who also shot a 68 for a 135.

Aussie Jack Thompson looked poised to grabbing the halfway lead with a running six-under card in the day and 11-under overall with five holes to play at the front.

But he bogeyed No. 5, yielded another stroke on the eighth before holing out with a double bogey on No. 9. He finished with a 70 and tumbled to joint fourth at 137.

Locals Chen Guxin and Zhang Huilin matched 136s after 68 and 69, respectively, while Order of Merit leader Andy Ogletree of the US put in a 69 for joint fourth with Thompson and Paul Peterson, also of the US, who likewise came up with a three-under round.

Miguel Tabuena later matched Que’s 68 on a birdie-birdie finish as he assembled a 141 to move to share of 24th while Justin Quiban also made the cut at 144 with a 71 and a 143 for a share of 44th.

Tabuena, seeking a strong finish this week and in the last three remaining legs of this year’s Asian Tour to boost his bid for the International Series next year, shot three birdies at the front and rebounded from a mishap on No. 10 with birdies on