Korean Choi Kyung-ju made light of blustery weather conditions to take a commanding lead in the US$500,000 Omega PGA Championship at the Clearwater Bay Golf & Country Club.
The thick-set former weightlifter, who started the day on five under par, went five shots clear after rattling in seven birdies to finish with a 36-hole, 10-under-par aggregate 130.
Choi's 65 was easily the best score of the day and probably should have been better. The talented 27-year-old's scorecard was spoiled by two bogeys on the final four holes of the par-70, 6,142-yard Clearwater Bay course.
'I was a bit worried towards the end . . . I kept thinking about Dubai,' said Choi, referring to his final-day collapse at last year's Dubai Creek Open when he let a three-stroke fourth-round lead slip to finish fourth. 'I wasn't happy with some parts of my game but my putting was good. I had a good feeling about my putting. I felt I could make most putts but the wind did make it quite tricky.' Two of Choi's seven birdies came from superb iron shots. He chipped in from 25 metres for his opener on the par-three first hole and, on the ninth, saw a 70-metre wedge shot lip out leaving him with a tap-in for birdie.
Choi's nearest challenger is likely to emerge from a pack of five golfers - including Hong Kong's Dominique Boulet - who are all five strokes behind on five-under after two rounds.
Boulet sunk two birdies and one bogey on his way to a one-under-par 69 total.
Boulet, who needs a high finish this weekend to guarantee his place on next year's Omega Tour, said he had been unable to create enough birdie chances despite hitting 15 out of 18 greens. 'I never really got close enough to the pin to make birdies,' Boulet said. 'I didn't hit the ball quite as good today as I did on Thursday but I'm happy to be where I am.
