Shenzhen, China, May 3: China’s Wu Ashun delighted the home crowd when he took a two-shot lead into the weekend after posting a second round seven-under-par 65 at the Volvo China Open on Friday.

Finland’s Tapio Pulkkanen and Spain’s Jorge Campillo, who both started the day tied for the lead, slipped to second and third place respectively after they returned with a 68 and 69 at the Genzon Golf Club.

Chinese amateur Kuang Yang endeared himself to the galleries when at 14 years and 170 days, became the second youngest player on the Asian Tour to make the halfway cut which was set at two-under-par.

India’s Khalin Joshi, a one-time Asian Tour winner, enjoyed a revival in form as he will also feature in the weekend rounds for the first time this season, having missed the cut in all six starts prior to this week’s Chinese showpiece.

The Indian signed for a 70 which placed him in a share of 23^rd place, eight shots back of Wu.

Wu got his round going in the morning with an opening birdie on his back-nine 10. He headed towards the turn with another three birdies on 13, 15 and 17 and added another two more birdies on the first and third hole after the turn.

However he was left to confront his nemesis on the par-four five again when he dropped another shot there for the second time.

Wu, who won the Volvo China Open in 2015, then stormed home by closing with another two birdies in his last three holes to sign for a two-day total of 13-under-par 131.

Did you know?

• Wu Ashun played predominately on the Asian Tour and in Japan since he turned professional in 2007 before he started playing regularly on the European Tour following his win at the Volvo China Open in 2015.
• With that victory, Wu became the first Chinese golfer to win a European Tour title on home soil.
• Wu has since followed up with that victory with wins in Austria and The Netherlands which made him the first Chinese player to win three times on the European Tour.
• Jorge Campillo is in the form of his life. He made his breakthrough on the European Tour with his win in Morocco last week and has four top three finishes from his last five starts.
• Khalin Joshi turned professional in 2013 and made his breakthrough on the Asian Tour when he won on home soil in October last year.
• He missed the cuts in all six events he played in on the Asian Tour since the start of the year.
• Kuang Yang is the second youngest player to make the halfway cut at an Asian Tour event. Jazz Janewattananond remains the youngest player at 14 years 71 days to make the cut at the 2010 Asian Tour International in Bangkok.
• Kuang qualified for this event by winning the Volvo China Junior Match Play Championship in December.
• Kuang just finished his mid-term examinations and says, ‘school is still my main focus.’

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Seongnam, Korea, May 3: Finland’s Janne Kaske broke the local stronghold by firing a superb five-under-par 66 to grab a share of the halfway lead while birthday boy Phachara Khongwatmai of Thailand lurks by two shots at The 38^th GS Caltex Maekyung Open Golf Championship on Friday.

After signing for an opening 70, Kaske nailed six birdies against a bogey at the Namseoul Country Club to move atop the Korean-dominated leaderboard where he sits alongside overnight co-leader Taehee Lee of Korea (69) with matching totals of six-under-par 136s.

Local prospects Yoseop Seo and Junwon Park trail the leading duo by one shot in third place following respective rounds of 69 and 68 at the KR₩1,200,000,000 (approx. US$1,067,000) event, which is celebrating its 38^th edition this week.

Phachara, who turns 20 years old today, posted a commendable 68 to settle for a share of fifth place on 138 with Gowoong Choi of Korea. The young Thai talent is the only foreigner after Kaske to sit inside the top-10 after 36 holes at the Maekyung Open.

Janne Kaske of Finland

Kaske, who started from the 10^th hole, chipped in for birdie on the 12^th before reeling in six consecutive pars to turn in 34. A birdie on the first sparked a hot run for the 32-year-old as he went on to sink three consecutive birdies from the third.

Despite stumbling with a bogey on the sixth, Kaske kept his cool and bounced back swiftly with an impressive birdie on the next, where he rolled in a 30-footer downhill from back edge of the green.

Defending champion Sanghyun Park of Korea, who is chasing for an unprecedented treble in the storied event, followed up his opening round 72 with a bogey-free 68 on his familiar winning ground to tie in 11^th place on 140.

Korean National Team player Seunghyeon Oh produced the shot of the day on the par-three sixth hole after his five-iron tee shot found the bottom of the cup from 234 yards. The amateur, however, failed to make the weekend rounds after signing for an eventual 77.

The halfway cut was set at four-over-par 146 with a total of 73 players, including five local amateurs, progressing into the weekend rounds at the event, co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the Korea Golf Association.

Taehee Lee of Korea

Did you know?

• Janne Kaske won twice on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) in 2015.
• Kaske navigated his way around the greens in only 28 putts. He is playing in Korea for the first time in his career.
• He notched a total of eight top-10 finishes on the ADT last year to finish in fifth place on the Order of Merit, thereby earning his playing rights on the Asian Tour for 2019.
• Kaske made it into the weekend rounds for the first time on the Asian Tour this season. He missed the halfway cuts earlier in New Zealand and Bangladesh.
• Kaske failed to make the mark in his first attempt at the Asian Tour Qualifying School in 2012. He returned for another shot in 2015, where he would top the class in the first stage but missed the grade in the final stage. Kaske, however, started plying his trade on the ADT that year and captured two titles.
• He continued to ply his trade on the ADT in 2016, 2017 and 2018 after missing consecutive attempts at the Qualifying School. A solid season on the ADT in 2018 finally earned him playing rights on the Asian Tour in 2019.
• Taehee Lee trained under Korean legend Sangho Choi, a two-time winner of the Maekyung Open, at the Namseoul Country Club from 2003 to 2010.
• Lee entered the week on the back of a tied-sixth place result on his domestic circuit. Also enjoyed a solid season in 2018, claiming one victory and four top-10 finishes on his domestic circuit.
• Lee won the Genesis Championship in 2018 for his second professional victory. That win earned him two starts on the PGA Tour – The CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges last October and the Genesis Open in February earlier this year.
• The 34-year-old Lee claimed his first career victory in 2015. He came in tied-55^th at the 2018 Maekyung Open.
• Phachara Khongwatmai enjoyed a tied-12^th place finish at the Maekyung Open last year. He is celebrating his 20^th birthday today.
• Phachara amassed 29 putts in his round of 68.
• He became the youngest winner of a professional tournament when he won on home soil in July 2013 at the age of 14. Came into prominence when he won the 2015 PGM CCM Rahman Putra Championship to become the youngest ADT winner at the age of 15.
• Phachara finished a career-high third place on the Asian Tour Merit standings in 2017, thanks to four top-five finishes which include three runner-up results.
• The Thai grabbed the last Asian Tour card on offer in 2015 when he won his second ADT title at the season-ending event to take the fifth spot on the ADT Order of Merit.

Phachara Khongwatmai of Thailand

Wu Ashun (Chn) – Second round 65 (-7), Total 131 (-13)

It was a great day again today. I made eight birdies and one bogey. I hit a lot of quality shots today and made a lot of birdies. I’m very happy. I hit a bad tee shot on five and I got a headache again. Because I made a bogey there yesterday too! I don’t know what’s going on with number five. During the season break, I took some time off to evaluate my game. I made some swing changes and it got better and better. I enjoy playing at home. It’s a great week as I have my family and friends here with me. It’s a good feeling.

Tapio Pulkkanen (Fin) – Second round 68 (-4), Total 133 (-11)
It was a really strong back nine for me today, I made a lot of birdie putts – my putter was hot – so it was a really good day. My driving was a little bit off today and I didn’t hit the fairways today so I had to grind it out on the par fives – that didn’t make for many easy birdies. But I’m happy with the day. I holed a lot of putts in the dark which was good for me, but on the last hole it was really dark. I hit a bad drive there anyways but it was good. I’m going to continue the same for the weekend, I saw on that Wu Ashun is leading and I really wanted to play with him in the final group. There are going to be a lot of people so it’s going to be fun.

Jorge Campillo (Esp) – Second round 69 (-3), Total 134 (-10)

It was a tough morning, in the first few holes it was wet and the ball wasn’t going very far so I hung in there on the first few holes and played solid after that – made three birdies in a row and got on a run. I’m just disappointed I didn’t make a birdie on nine, I had an easy up and down and I couldn’t do it but besides that it was a good round. I’ve made one birdie and one bogey on those par fives so that wasn’t any good. You’ve got to take advantage of the par fives but they are not easy out there, two is a funny hole, nine is the easiest and on 17 you have to get the ball on the fairway so they’re not that easy. But if you want to win the tournament you have to play well on them. It was a good round, solid, and after yesterday’s 65 it’s tough to come back today and shoot that same score – I did try and I just missed one more birdie on the last (ninth hole) which hurt me a little bit. But it was good round overall.

Khalin Joshi (Ind) – Second round 70, Total 139 (-5)

I didn’t putt as well as I wanted to but overall I feel pretty good as I’m in a good position. I hit the ball well and I played smart golf. This golf course can be very intimating as it has its challenges and it’s fairly long for me. But I’m just excited about the weekend and hopefully I can put up a good result. Jeev’s an inspiration for all Indian golfer and knowing that he has won the Volvo China Open before just gives us the belief that we can do it too. I have been having a rough start so it’s nice I’m going to play this weekend. I’m excited.

Kuang Yang (Chn) – Second round 71 (-1), Total 142 (-2)

I’m really happy. It’s amazing. I was really nervous on 18 as it is a long putt for me but it went in and I‘m too happy. There are not enough words to describe the feeling. Although my putting was better and my game was better than yesterday, the score is the same. I’m just so happy and want to thank my mum, my dad, my head teacher and members of my family for all their support.

Shenzhen, China, May 2: American David Lipsky together with Spain’s Jorge Campillo and Finland’s Tapio Pulkkanen took charge of the first round by carding matching seven-under-par 65s to set the early pace at the Volvo China Open on Thursday.

Coming off a fifth place finish in Morocco last week, Lipsky, the 2014 Asian Tour Order of Merit winner, continued his good form at the Genzon Golf Club by marking his card with eight birdies and one bogey for a slender one-advantage over compatriot John Catlin as well as China’s Wu Ashun and Jin Daxing.

Catlin, who was one of the breakout stars on the Asian Tour in 2018, enjoyed a bogey-free round 66 to start promisingly at the Volvo China Open, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.

Jin and Wu delighted the home crowd when they emerged as the highest placed Chinese after day one when they both traded seven birdies against one bogey to stay in the title hunt.

Blessed with a clean bill of health now, Philippines’ Miguel Tabuena fought his way back from a back injury by signing for a 65 to be bunched in tied-sixth place which was also included Malaysia’s Gavin Green and China’s Li Haotong.

Sweden’s Alexander Bjork of Sweden opened his title defence of the Volvo China Open by posting a 70 to trail the leaders by five shots in a share of 46th place.

Did you know?

• David Lipsky signaled his arrival on the Asian Tour by winning the 2012 Asian Tour Qualifying School Final Stage. He subsequently went on to win the HANDA FALDO Cambodian Classic with a play-off victory over Filipino Elmer Salvador, chipping in for birdie in the first extra hole.
• He became the first Asian Tour member to win the Omega European Masters in Switzerland after defeating Graeme Storm on the first play-off hole in 2014.
• He also enjoyed four other top-10s including a second-place finish at The Championship in Singapore to cap a successful year in 2014 where he was crowned the Asian Tour Order of Merit champion.
• Lipsky’s maiden visit to South Africa last year saw him win the Alfred Dunhill Championship for his second victory outside Asia.
• John Catlin had a breakout season in 2018 when he made his career breakthrough at the Asia-Pacific Classic in May.
• Two months later, Catlin won his second Tour title at the Sarawak Championship in Malaysia and in October, he was victorious yet again at the Yeangder Tournament Players Championship in Chinese Taipei.
• With those victories, Catlin became the 10th golfer in Tour history to win three times in a single season.
• Wu Ashun won the Volvo China Open in 2015 after he pipped England’s David Howell to the title by one shot. He is the first Chinese player to win three times on the European Tour.
• Miguel Tabuena hurt his back while playing in Malaysia in March and was only advised by his doctor to resume practicing only last week.
• He is a two-time Asian Tour winner. He clinched his second Tour title at the Queen’s Cup hosted by Jaidee Foundation last year.
• Tabuena made his breakthrough on home soil in 2015 when he became the first Filipino to win his National Open since 2008 at just 21-years-old.
• Gavin Green claimed his maiden Asian Tour title at the 2017 Mercuries Taiwan Masters, after notching four top-10 results earlier in the year, including three runner-up finishes in India, Chinese Taipei and Korea.
• He became the first Malaysian to win the Asian Tour Order of Merit in 2017

Ends.