Malaysia’s Arie Irawan produced a flawless five-under-par 66 to hold on to his lead after the halfway stage of the PGM Port Dickson Championship on Thursday.
The talented Malaysian, who is gunning for a maiden Asian Development Tour (ADT) victory, rolled in five birdies for a two-day total of 11-under-par 131 at the Port Dickson Golf and Country Club.
American Brett Munson, who also shot a 66, trails by two shots while compatriot Roberto Galletti lies in third position following a 68 on 134 total in the RM200,000 (approximately US$60,000) ADT event.
Joint overnight leader Wisut Artjanawat of Thailand slipped to tied-15th after signing for a disappointing 74.
Arie, ranked sixth place on the ADT Order of Merit, is determined to push for a breakthrough win this week after finishing tied second in Sarawak a fortnight ago.
“I played very consistently today and I didn’t make any mistakes. I kept to the game plan and I’m feeling a lot more confidence in my game right now as I’ve been hitting the ball really well,” said Arie.
“This is my 10th tournament in a row. I’m feeling a little tired but I will try to manage my time properly this week so that I can get enough rest. It has been my aim to break into top-five on the merit rankings since the start of the season. I hope I can do it this week,” added the 24-year-old.
Munson, a one-time ADT champion, put on a flawless display courtesy of a hot putter which led him to a 133 total.
“I played solid today. I avoided making mistakes and I putted really well. I hope I can continue to play like how I have been playing in the next two rounds and try to chase for a second win this week,” said the 28-year-old Munson.
A second win is on his radar this week after enjoying a solid season where he made all the cuts in his last eight ADT events while chalking up four top-five results.
“It has been a great first year playing on the ADT. I’ve gained a lot of experience and I’m fortunate to be able to play against many good players out here. Playing well on the ADT gave me a lot of confidence in my game too,” added Munson.
The halfway cut was set at two-over-par with a total of 51 players progressing into the final two rounds of the PGM Port Dickson Championship, which is the 17th leg on the ADT schedule.
Since its inauguration in 2010, the ADT has grown from five events in the first year to a record 20 tournaments in 2014. The top-five finishers on the Order of Merit at the end of the season will earn Asian Tour cards for 2015.
All ADT events also receive Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points which is a boost for the game in the region.
For more information on the ADT, please visit www.asiandevelopmenttour.com
Leading second round scores:
131 – Arie IRAWAN (MAS) 65-66
133 – Brett MUNSON (USA) 67-66
134 – Roberto GALLETTI (USA) 66-68
135 – Sam BRAZEL (AUS) 68-67
136 – KHOR Kheng Hwai (MAS) 69-67, Ryan YIP (CAN) 69-67
137 – Tirawat KAEWSIRIBANDIT (THA) 68-69, Alex KANG (USA) 67-70, Airil Rizman ZAHARI (MAS) 70-67
138 – KOH Deng Shan (SIN) 68-70, Thammanoon SRIROJ (THA) 70-68, Sattaya SUPUPRAMAI (THA) 70-68, Guy WOODMAN (ENG) 69-69, Nakarinta RATANAKUL (THA) 69-69
