Korean Jeunghun Wang continued his calm and calculated return to the top of the game by taking the second-round lead at the Final Stage of the Asian Tour’s Qualifying School today.
He shot a four-under-par 68 at Springfield Royal Country Club to lead on 10-under-par, by one from Japan’s Taichi Nabetani – who shot an eight-under-par 63 at Lake View Resort and Golf Club. The two courses are being used for the first four days before the final round is played at Springfield on Saturday.
Australian Sam Brazel fired a 67 at Lakeview while Stefano Mazzoli from Italy shot the same score at Springfield to end the day in a tie for third on seven-under.
Jose Toledo (66) from Guatemala, Filipino Justin Quiban (68), and Japan’s Taihei Sato (69) all played at Lakeview and are six under.
Wang, aged 28, is a three-time champion on the DP World Tour and a winner on the Asian Tour, but his most recent win came in the Qatar Masters in 2017. National Service in Korea in 2021 and 2022 meant his career was put on hold but he is now fully focused on getting back to his best.
“I’m hitting really good irons right now, so I don’t really miss greens. I just made one bogey today, so playing pretty well,” said Wang, the joint first-round leader with Kiwi Nick Voke.
“I didn’t take a holiday over the break, just practiced every day, I went to the Philippines to practice so I had a really good session there. So yeah, that works.”
2016 Hong Kong Open winner Brazel was bogey-free today and is looking to draw on two decades of experience as a professional to earn one of the 35 Asian Tour cards on offer this week.
The 45-year-old said: “Well I have a lot of experience, so that should serve me well. Experience is key at Q School.
“I played well, short game was sharp and made some nice up and downs early on.”
Unheralded Mazzoli said: “Today was really hard compared to yesterday, the greens were really firm so it was a good test. Especially the first few holes, I started missing a couple of greens and managed to recover really well and I had plenty of birdie opportunities. Didn’t make all of them but it was it was good. I had a good streak on the back nine.”
American John Catlin, a four-time winner on the Asian Tour and three-time champion in Europe, put himself in a strong position after carding a 66 at Lakeview to go to five under in a tie for eighth.
The top-140 players (and ties) today will now progress to round three and four before the top-70 players (and ties) after 72 holes play in the final round.
Scores after round 2 of the The Asian Tour Qualifying School Final Stage 2024 (am – denotes amateur):
133 – Jeunghun Wang (KOR) 65-68.
134 – Taichi Nabetani (JPN) 71-63.
136 – Sam Brazel (AUS) 69-67, Stefano Mazzoli (ITA) 69-67.
137 – Justin Quiban (PHI) 69-68, Taihei Sato (JPN) 68-69, Jose Toledo (GTM) 71-66.
138 – Maverick Antcliff (AUS) 69-69, Hanmil Jung (KOR) 72-66, Honey Baisoya (IND) 69-69, John Catlin (USA) 72-66, Carlos Pigem (ESP) 67-71.
139 – Varun Chopra (USA) 70-69, Matias Dominguez (CHI) 68-71, Mikiya Akutsu (JPN) 70-69, Wooyoung Cho (KOR) 67-72, Liu Yanwei (CHN) 71-68, Danthai Boonma (THA) 71-68, Tomoyo Ikemura (JPN) 68-71, Junggon Hwang (KOR) 68-71.
140 – Liu Enhua (CHN) 68-72, Kristoffer Broberg (SWE) 71-69, Nick Voke (NZL) 65-75, Tomoharu Otsuki (JPN) 68-72, Tunyapat Sukkoed (THA) 75-65, Sangpil Yoon (KOR) 71-69, Doyeob Mun (KOR) 71-69, Denzel Ieremia (NZL) 70-70, Charlie Lindh (SWE) 67-73, Matt Killen (ENG) 68-72.
141 – Aman Raj (IND) 73-68, Issa Abouelela (am, EGY) 72-69, Hamza Amin (PAK) 71-70.
142 – Liu Yung-hua (TPE) 72-70, Yuwa Kosaihira (JPN) 72-70, Jeremy Gandon (FRA) 75-67, Lachlan Barker (AUS) 74-68, Ben Jones (ENG) 71-71, Sunhit Bishnoi (IND) 73-69, Shogenji Tatsunori (JPN) 69-73, Chankyu Park (KOR) 70-72, Andy Kang (USA) 71-71, Ryosuke Kinoshita (JPN) 72-70, Panuphol Pittayarat (THA) 68-74.
143 – Christofer Rahm (SWE) 72-71, Peter Wilson (AUS) 69-74, Jordan Zunic (AUS) 74-69, Khalin Joshi (IND) 73-70, Galven Green (MAS) 73-70, Bai Zhengkai (CHN) 72-71, Max Charles (am, AUS) 71-72, Tawit Polthai (THA) 71-72, Gaurav P. Singh (IND) 71-72, Ye Wocheng (CHN) 70-73, Angus Flanagan (ENG) 72-71, Matt Sharpstene (USA) 69-74, Khavish Varadan (MAS) 74-69, Nathan Barbieri (AUS) 70-73, Naraajie Ramadhanputra (INA) 72-71, Jared Edwards (NZL) 73-70, Yashas Chandra (IND) 73-70, Seungtaek Oh (KOR) 74-69.
144 – Kartik Sharma (IND) 72-72, Julius Kreutzer (GER) 77-67, Koh Deng shan (SIN) 72-72, Lawry Flynn (AUS) 75-69, Lin K.P. (TPE) 70-74, Natipong Srithong (THA) 74-70, Tirawat Kaewsiribandit (THA) 74-70, Austen Truslow (USA) 72-72, Xiao Bowen (CHN) 76-68, Kosuke Hamamoto (THA) 70-74, Yosuke Asaji (JPN) 72-72, Tsutomu Kikuta (JPN) 75-69, Jonathan Walters (USA) 76-68, Lin Chuan-tai (am, TPE) 69-75, Otto Van Buynder (RSA) 72-72, Abel Gallegos (ARG) 71-73, Douglas Klein (AUS) 72-72, Rikard Karlberg (SWE) 75-69, Rahil Gangjee (IND) 73-71, Runchanapong Youprayong (THA) 70-74, Waris Manthorn (THA) 70-74.
145 – Shae Wools-Cobb (AUS) 73-72, Sean Ramos (PHI) 73-72, Luo Xuewen (CHN) 69-76, Gavin Moynihan (IRL) 75-70, Eric McIntosh (SCO) 72-73, Poosit Supupramai (THA) 74-71, Joel Stalter (FRA) 76-69, Joe Heraty (ENG) 72-73, Weerawish Narkprachar (THA) 74-71, Kyle Michel (AUS) 74-71, Baekjun Kim (KOR) 72-73, Harrison Crowe (AUS) 74-71, Jesper Kennegard (SWE) 72-73, Yikeun Chang (KOR) 72-73, Meenwhee Kim (KOR) 70-75.
146 – Austin Duncan (USA) 74-72, Leo Oyo (JPN) 71-75, Tanapat Pichaikool (THA) 71-75, James Leow (SIN) 77-69, Gregory Foo (SIN) 72-74, Lloyd Jefferson Go (PHI) 74-72, Justin Warren (AUS) 72-74, Saptak Talwar (IND) 72-74, Lu Sun-yi (TPE) 73-73, Eunshin Park (KOR) 75-71, Sam Rook (ENG) 74-72, Yubin Jang (KOR) 74-72, Jake Lane (CAN) 71-75, Jared Du Toit (CAN) 72-74, Christian Banke (USA) 72-74, Akinori Tani (JPN) 72-74, Lu Wei-chih (TPE) 73-73, Manav Shah (USA) 71-75, David Meyers (RSA) 72-74, Michael Herrera (USA) 75-71, Aoki Takano (JPN) 78-68.
147 – Sam Broadhurst (ENG) 78-69, Sungjin Noh (KOR) 75-72, Arjun Prasad (IND) 72-75, Rakhyun Cho (KOR) 78-69, Itthipat Buranatanyarat (THA) 72-75, Yuta Sugiura (JPN) 77-70, Rory Hie (INA) 73-74, Robin Petersson (SWE) 75-72, Pukhraj Singh Gill (IND) 69-78, Suttinon Panyo (THA) 76-71, Jeff Guan (AUS) 73-74, Jonathan Wijono (INA) 73-74, Minhyeok Yang (KOR) 70-77, Hongtaek Kim (KOR) 74-73, Luke Gifford (USA) 76-71, Ayoub Lguirati (MAR) 78-69, Paul San (MAS) 74-73, Jeff Burton (USA) 74-73.
148 – Cameron Harlock (am, NZL) 78-70, Dodge Kemmer (USA) 76-72, Gen Nagai (JPN) 75-73, Ngai Si (am, MAC) 76-72, Andre Lautee (AUS) 73-75, Matthew Cheung (HKG) 73-75, Pawin Ingkhapradit (THA) 72-76, Manu Gandas (IND) 72-76, Alvaro Quiros (ESP) 74-74, Jakkanat Inmee (THA) 76-72, Jaturon Duangphaichoom (THA) 77-71, Cameron Meeks (USA) 75-73.
149 – Saud Al Sharif (KSA) 76-73, Jin Cheng (CHN) 77-72, Varanyu Rattanaphiboonkij (THA) 75-74, James Mee (AUS) 76-73, Kammalas Namuangruk (THA) 74-75, Muhammad Shahzad (PAK) 74-75, Gunn Yang (USA) 69-80, Sachin Baisoya (IND) 76-73, Alex Ching (USA) 75-74, Harry Boyle (ENG) 73-76, Michele Ortolani (ITA) 75-74, Warun Ieamgaew (THA) 73-76, Peter Gunawan (INA) 75-74.
150 – Andrea Saracino (ITA) 74-76, Nopparat Panichphol (THA) 77-73, Harshjeet Singh Sethie (IND) 76-74, Filip Lundell (SWE) 77-73, Kenta Endo (JPN) 72-78, Aidric Jose Chan (am, PHI) 77-73, William Bruyeres (AUS) 77-73, Cao Senshou (CHN) 73-77, Kevin Akbar (INA) 73-77, Newport Laparojkit (THA) 73-77, Gonzalo Fdez-Castano (ESP) 76-74, Xue Han (CHN) 75-75, Lai Chia-i (TPE) 76-74.
151 – Blake Wagoner (USA) 77-74, Akshay Sharma (IND) 75-76, Thomas McLendon (USA) 75-76, Bryan Teoh (MAS) 77-74, Junghwan Lee (KOR) 73-78, Jakraphan Premsirigorn (THA) 75-76, Nicholas Fung (MAS) 78-73, Thitipat Lem (THA) 73-78, Nicolas Horder (GER) 71-80, Nattawat Suvajanakorn (THA) 77-74.
152 – Sota Fujii (JPN) 76-76, Faisal Salhab (KSA) 77-75, Thomas Lim (USA) 73-79.
153 – Divyanshu Bajaj (IND) 76-77, Joey Mayo (USA) 77-76, Amir Nazrin (MAS) 75-78, Juvic Pagunsan (PHI) 76-77, Tong Yang (CHN) 75-78, Toyokazu Fujishima (JPN) 74-79, Fadhli Soetarso (INA) 77-76, Sungyeol Kwon (KOR) 70-83, Tsai Sangay (TPE) 72-81.
154 – Honjo Matsumura (JPN) 77-77, Moojin Cho (KOR) 79-75, Leon D’Souza (HKG) 74-80, Lin Yung-lung (TPE) 77-77, Ryoto Furuya (USA) 80-74, Hiroya Kubota (JPN) 79-75.
155 – Chi Quan Truong (VNM) 78-77, Nguyen Nhat Long (VNM) 73-82.
156 – Tang Haizhao (CHN) 83-73, Evan Peterson (USA) 75-81, Joshua Wirawan (INA) 78-78.
157 – Thitipan Pachuayprakong (THA) 78-79, Dongmin Lee (KOR) 79-78, Othman Almulla (KSA) 82-75.
159 – Thanyakon Khrongpha (THA) 85-74, Jake Hughes (AUS) 75-84.
160 – Kento Nakai (JPN) 79-81.
162 – Evan Kawai (am, USA) 85-77, Koichiro Ishika (JPN) 82-80.
182 – Mahbubul Islam (BAN) 96-86.
END.
+5 (149) was the final cut, 149 players made the cut
Li Linqiang, China – RT
Kento Yamawaki, Japan – WD
