Ramos, Go thrive in Asian Tour Q-School opener

MANILA, Philippines — Sean Ramos made a promising start in his quest for a regular Asian Tour card, firing a three-under 68 to share 20th place in the opening round of the Final Stage of Qualifying School in Hua Hin, Thailand, on Wednesday.

With three birdies against a solitary bogey at the par-71 Lake View Resort & Golf Club, Ramos positioned himself well for the first cut, which leads to the coveted top 35 and ties that will secure regular Tour cards for next year.

The format of the tournament is rigorous, with the top 140 players and ties from a starting field of 200 after 36 holes moving on to the third and fourth rounds. A further cut will then reduce the field to the leading 70 players and ties after 72 holes, who will compete in the final round for a chance at glory.

Lloyd Go also delivered an impressive performance, carding a four-birdie round with two bogeys for a 69, placing him in joint 38th position and firmly in contention for the first cut. Both Ramos and Go's strong starts reflect their potential to secure their places on the Asian Tour, showcasing their skills and determination in the face of tough competition.

In contrast, Enrico Gallardo faced a challenging day, finishing with a two-bogey, one-birdie card for a score of 72, leaving him in 101st place and needing to make significant adjustments to his game.

Australians Will Florimo and Michael Pearce set the early pace with stellar rounds of 64, one stroke ahead of Liu Yung-hua, Junhong Park and Tomohiro Ishizaka, who all posted 65s.

Ramos, who secured one of the last berths in last year's edition of Q-School, has faced challenges in Asian Tour events, missing the cut four times in 13 events, including three consecutive attempts in the International Series in the Philippines, Hong Kong and Singapore. However, he shone with a joint seventh-place finish at the Macao Open and concluded the season ranked 71st in the Order of Merit.

He also competed in six Asian Development Tour events, with his best result being a joint 18th place finish in Morocco. Both Ramos and Go are now poised to build on their promising starts at the Q-School, aiming to break through and secure regular cards on the Asian Tour.