Luang Prabang, Laos, April 25 - Namchok Tantipokhakul from Thailand kept his lead in the US$100,000 Luang Prabang Laos Open today at Luang Prabang Golf Club.The powerfully built golfer fired a one-under-par 71 to lead the ASEAN PGA Tour event on five under par.
His countryman Udorn Duangdecha is in second place one shot behind after also carding a 71.
Namchok was joint leader with Sutijet Kooratanapisan at the start of day. Sutijet slipped back with a 76 while Namchok held on to the lead by firing five birdies and four bogeys.
“I had to work hard today to keep under par. I had to keep my concentration and I did that well,” said Namchok.
He began his round on the back nine and birdied the ninth, his final hole, to edge ahead.
“I feel comfortable in the lead. I have not been in this position for a while so I just want to enjoy it,” added the Thai.
Namchok, aged 25, first made his name on the ASEAN PGA Tour when he claimed the Order of Merit title back in 2009.
He won twice that year in the Mercedes-Benz Vietnam Masters and the B-Ing Championship in Thailand.
The following year he came narrowly close to recording big victories after finishing joint second in the 2010 Thailand Open on OneAsia and losing in play-off at the Black Mountain Masters.
Veteran Udorn, aged 42, also put himself in a good position to secure his third title on the ASEAN PGA Tour.
“I had a top-20 finish in last week’s Singha Pattaya Open but felt I could have done better so I am pleased that things are starting to happen this week,” said Udorn.
Five birdies and four bogies was enough for Udorn to stay in the hunt.
Udorn is something of a late bloomer in the game as it wasn’t until 2010, 10 years after he turned professional, that he started to find his feet in the paid ranks.
That year he won the Singha Pattaya Open on the ASEAN PGA Tour and the King’s Cup on the Asian Tour.
The following season he claimed another ASEAN PGA title at the Singha Esan Open.
In a tie for third place are Thailand’s Chawinroj Krobteeranon, who shot 69, and Khor Kheng Hwai from Malaysia, in with a 70.
They are two behind Namchok.
Adi Bramantyo was the only Indonesian player to make the cut, set at 157. A round of 81 together with a first round 76 was just enough to scrape through to the weekend. For fellow countryman Kurnia Herisyandi it was back home though, missing the cut by 2 strokes after carding an 82.
Leading second round scores (Par 72, Thai unless stated):
139 - Namchok Tantipokhakul 68 71
140 - Udorn Duangdecha 69 71
141 - Chawinroj Krobteeranon 72 69, Khor Kheng Hwai (MAS) 71 70
142 - Wisut Artjanawat 73 69
143 - Borworn Chaisri 71 72
144 - Pravee Visalkit 73 71, Ratchapol Juntavara 72 72, Sutijet Kooratanapisan 68 76, Varut Chomchalam 73 71
145 - Kwanchai Tannin 73 72
Selected:
157 - Adi Bramantyo (INA) 76 81
Missed cut:
159 - Kurnia Herisyandi (INA) 77 82
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