Luang Prabang, Laos, April 25:
Namchok Tantipokhakul from Thailand kept his lead in the US$100,000 Luang
Prabang Laos Open today at Luang Prabang Golf Club.
The powerfully built golfer
fired a one-under-par 71 to lead the ASEAN PGA Tour event on five under par.
His countryman Udorn Duangdecha
is in second place one shot behind after also carding a 71.
Namchok was joint leader with
Sutijet Kooratanapisan at the start of day. Sutijet slipped back with a 76
while Namchok held on to the lead by firing five birdies and four bogeys.
Namchok
“I had to work hard today to
keep under par. I had to keep my concentration and I did that well,” said
Namchok.
He began his round on the back
nine and birdied the ninth, his final hole, to edge ahead.
“I feel comfortable in the
lead. I have not been in this position for a while so I just want to enjoy it,”
added the Thai.
Namchok, aged 25, first made
his name on the ASEAN PGA Tour when he claimed the Order of Merit title back in
2009.
Sutijet Kooratanapisan
He won twice that year in the
Mercedes-Benz Vietnam Masters and the B-Ing Championship in Thailand.
The following year he came
narrowly close to recording big victories after finishing joint second in the
2010 Thailand Open on OneAsia and losing in play-off at the Black Mountain
Masters.
Veteran Udorn, aged 42, also
put himself in a good position to secure his third title on the ASEAN PGA Tour
.
“I had a top-20 finish in last
week’s Singha Pattaya Open but felt I could have done better so I am pleased
that things are starting to happen this week,” said Udorn.
Five birdies and four bogies
was enough for Udorn to stay in the hunt.
Udorn is something of a late
bloomer in the game as it wasn’t until 2010, 10 years after he turned
professional, that he started to find his feet in the paid ranks.
That year he won the Singha
Pattaya Open on the ASEAN PGA Tour and the King’s Cup on the Asian Tour.
The following season he claimed
another ASEAN PGA title at the Singha Esan Open.
In a tie for third place are
Thailand’s Chawinroj Krobteeranon, who shot 69, and Khor Kheng Hwai from
Malaysia, in with a 70.
They are two behind Namchok.
Leading Second Round Scores:
Thai unless stated
Par 72
139 - Namchok Tantipokhakul 68 71
140 - Udorn Duangdecha 69 71
141 - Chawinroj Krobteeranon 72 69, Khor Kheng Hwai (MAS) 71
70
142 - Wisut Artjanawat 73 69
143 - Borworn Chaisri 71 72
144 - Pravee Visalkit 73 71, Ratchapol Juntavara 72 72,
Sutijet Kooratanapisan 68 76, Varut Chomchalam 73 71
145 - Kwanchai Tannin 73 72
