Hong Kong pair Kho and D’Souza battle back to make cut at Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship
- Kho cards second round of 2-under to finish on cut line at level par, while D’Souza’s 5-under leaves him 1-under overall
- But teammate Alexander Yang misses out after quadruple bogey at tricky par-3 8th
There was a good possibility that at the halfway stage of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship any interest Hong Kong had in its outcome would be purely academic.
Taichi Kho, Leon D’Souza and Alexander Yang all began Friday’s second round in danger of missing the cut, but after a battling day of birdies and bogeys, or in Yang’s case a quadruple bogey, the first two at least have a shot at peaking the city’s interest a moment longer.
Kho carded a two-under par 70 to finish on the cut line at level-par after 36 holes, and D’Souza’s five-under 67 left him one-under for the tournament.
Not that either knew where they stood until they walked off the course. Kho endured a nervy few moments as the last groups came in, as did D’Souza, who bogeyed 18 after missing the green with his approach.
“I had absolutely no idea coming down 18 what I needed, it’s not on the leader board, so I just figured put it on the green and two putt,” D’Souza said. “But obviously 18 is a tough hole.”
Yang, meanwhile, began the day at two-over and flirted with making the weekend until he found water at the long par-3 8th and walked away with a seven. He eventually finished his day three-over.
With leader Bo Jin on 10-under, and 10 players within three shots, the congested leader board suggests a finish that is likely to go down to the wire. And don’t think Kho and D’Souza have given up on winning it all either.