Filipino youngster sets pace in Asian Games golf
Miguel Tabuena of the Philippines emerged as the surprise leader in the first round of the 2010 Asian Games golf competition on Wednesday.
The 16-year-old, a late addition to the national team, fired a 4-under-par 68 at the Dragon Lake Golf Club.
Tabuena sank five birdies to make up for his lone bogey on the 15th hole. He birdied his third, sixth and eighth holes and made back-to-back birdies on the 10th and 11th holes.
Tabuena is aiming to become the first Filipino golfer to win an Asian Games gold medal since Ramon Brobio at the 1986 Seoul Asiad.
Brobio, who was also in his teens at that time, upset veteran and hometown bet Kim Ki-sup to win the title. Brobio also won a bronze medal at the 1990 Beijing Asiad.
Michael Bibat was the last Filipino golfer to win an Asian Games medal, bringing home a bronze in the men's individual event four years ago in Doha.
Mithun Kaluthanthrige of Sri Lanka and South Koreans Kim Meen-whee and Lee Jae-hyeok are a stroke behind Tabuena. Kaluthanthrige made four birdies against a bogey on the seventh. Kim also had four birdies
and bogeyed at the 13th. Lee faltered with a double bogey on the sixth hole but made up for it by nailing an eagle on the 14th. The South Korean made three birdies.
Chinese Taipei's Hung Chien-yao and India's Rashid Khan are tied in fifth spot at 1-under 71.
Khalid Walid AAttieh of Saudi Arabia and Park Il-hwan of South Korea are in seventh spot with 72s, a stroke ahead of Jerson Balasabas of the Philippines and Atthachai Jaichalad of Thailand.
Men's team event
In the men's team event, South Korea took the lead after opening with a 6-under-210. The Philippines is in second place with a 218 followed by Sri Lanka (223), Japan (224), Bangladesh (224), Chinese Taipei
(224), Thailand (226) and Hong Kong (226).
In the women's individual event, local bet Yan Jing led all players after opening with a 3-under-69. She drilled six birdies to make up for her bogeys in the fourth, 13th and 14th holes.
Kim Hyun-soo of South Korea is a stroke behind in second spot. She made four birdies against two bogeys.
Mamiko Higa of Japan started her campaign with a 71 to sit at third spot.
China's Li Jiayun and Taiwanese Liu Yi-chen are tied in fourth spot with 73s.
In the team event, China took an early lead with a score of 2-under-142. South Korea is in second place with a 144 while Chinese Taipei is in third spot with 148.
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