Taiwan's Yeh Chang-ting shot a three-under-par 69 to share the halfway lead with Australian Scott Strange at the Philippine Open on Friday. Yeh, who won the title here in 1993, safely negotiated the treacherous Wack Wack Golf and Country Club's East course to draw level with Strange, the overnight leader, on six-under-par 138.
Strange battled to a 70 in what is the 90th edition of the Philippine Open, Asia's oldest national Championship. England's Chris Rodgers, who won the Asian Tour Qualifying School and Pakistan Open back-to-back in January, carded a 69 to lie a stroke back in third but he was amongst those stung by the East course, dropping two bogeys over his last five holes.
Filipino rising star Juvic Pagunsan, who finished runner-up at the Philippine Open as an amateur in 2004, raised his title hopes with a 70 for tied fourth place on 142, four off the lead, with Myanmar's Soe Kyaw Naing (70) and 2002 champion Rick Gibson of Canada (72).
After winning twice on the Asian Tour in the mid-1990s, Yeh, 39, ventured to Japan but lost his card in 2003. With this week's solid form, he is looking to end a nine-year title drought.
"I didn't drive the ball well but my putting really saved me," said Yeh, who scrambled for six up-and-down par saves and needed only 24 putts. "I won this tournament a very long time ago but I'm not going to think about winning yet. You'Strange has bedfellow at Philippine Open
LEADING SCORES FROM THE SECOND ROUND:
138 - Scott Strange (AUS) 68-70, Yeh Chang-ting (TPE) 69-69
139 - Chris Rodgers (ENG) 70-69
142 - Soe Kyaw Naing (MYN) 72-70, Rick Gibson (CAN) 70-72, Juvic Pagunsan (PHI) 72-70
143 - Airil Rizman Zahari (MAS) 73-70, Unho Park (AUS) 72-71, Marcus Both (AUS) 73-70, Gary Simpson (AUS) 71-72, Lu Wei-lan (TPE) 69-74
144 - Anthony Kang (USA) 72-72, Robert Pactolerin (PHI) 74-70, Cookie Lao (PHI) 70-74, Jason Knutzon (USA) 73-71, Hsieh Chin-sheng (TPE) 71-73
145 - Larry Austin (AUS) 74-71, Brad Iles (NZL) 76-69, Gerald Rosales (PHI) 73-72, Barry Hume (SCO) 69-76, Adam Porker (AUS) 73-72, Digvijay Singh (IND) 75-70, Jason Dawes (AUS) 70-75, Jerome Delariarte (PHI) 76-69.
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