Tabuena holds ground in Hong Kong Open; Corpus presses bid in ADT Egypt

MANILA, Philippines — Miguel Tabuena slowed down after a fiery start and settled for a three-under-par 67, barely improving to joint 27th halfway through the Hong Kong Open, still under the firm control of Tom McKibbin at the Hong Kong Golf Club in Fanling on Friday.

Tabuena’s four-birdie, one-bogey round was impressive by most standards, but in a world-class field on a short yet tricky par-70 layout that continued to yield low numbers, it proved merely ordinary. With a seven-under 133 aggregate following an opening 66, the Filipino ace found himself eight shots behind the pace-setting McKibbin.

The Englishman followed his electrifying opening 60 with a 65 for a 15-under 125 total, two strokes ahead of Peter Uihlein, Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Jazz Janewattananond, who stood tied at 127 after 63, 65 and 66, respectively.

Despite his modest progress, Tabuena — the newly crowned International Series Philippines champion — remained ahead of big names such as defending champion and former Masters winner Patrick Reed and Ryder Cup veteran Paul Casey, who carded 69 and 68, respectively, to drop to a share of 41st at 134.

Scoring continued to be blisteringly low, with the cut set at five-under. That left Justin Quiban out by a single stroke despite a second-round 68 for 136, while Sean Ramos, who opened with a promising 67, faltered with a 72 to finish at 139.

Tabuena looked poised for another strong showing after birdies on Nos. 3 and 4, but he stumbled with a bogey on the ninth after failing to save par from the greenside rough.

Missed birdie chances at the back nine stalled his momentum, though he capitalized on the par-5 13th with a two-putt birdie and closed with another on the last for a 33-34 split. He missed five fairways and five greens but compensated with a sharp 27-putt performance to stay within striking distance of a weekend surge.

In Egypt, Carl Corpus continued his impressive climb in the Egyptian Open, firing a brilliant five-under 65 to move into joint sixth, just four strokes off Hong Kong’s Hoho Yue heading into the final round at the Madinaty Golf Club on Friday.

Corpus has shown steady form throughout the week, improving with each round — 68, 67 and now 65 — at the par-70 layout, a sign of growing confidence and composure as he eyes a second career Asian Development Tour crown.

Winner of a first ADT title in Morocco last June, Corpus put together a scorching four-birdie burst over a five-hole stretch from No. 5 to turn in 32. Though he briefly wavered on the back nine, trading two birdies for two bogeys, he capped his round with a closing birdie to post a 10-under 200 total.

Yue stayed on top with a 66 for a 196, now two shots ahead of Thailand’s Tawit Polthai (67–198), while three others, including early leader El Mahdi Fakori (71), lurked one shot farther back at 199.

Corpus’s consistency, accuracy off the tee and sharp iron play have made him a quiet but serious contender. A strong finish could not only secure him another ADT title but also strengthen his bid to move up to the Asian Tour, marking another milestone in his young but fast-rising career.

Aidric Chan, meanwhile, missed the cut after a 71 for a 145 total, six strokes shy of the weekend play.