Kurnia Herishandy Enters Top Ten At Halfway Point Of PGM-ASEAN PGA Port Dickson Championship

Port Dickson, Malaysia, October 16 - Malaysian young gun Kenneth De Silva found himself in the halfway lead at the PGM-ASEAN PGA Port Dickson Championship on Thursday after overnight pacesetter Pipatpong Naewsuk of Thailand dropped three shots in the closing stretch.

De Silva, who came to prominence with victory in the PGM Sarawak Masters in 2012, shot a second-round 68 for a total of six-under-par 136 and a one-stroke advantage over countryman Lim Eng Seng (68) and Thais Pipatpong and Ratchapol Jantavara.

Pipatpong, currently fifth on the 2014 Road to Sabah Masters rankings, looked to have righted the ship with four birdies in six holes after going bogey, bogey early in his the round but dropped out of the lead with a double bogey at the seventh (his 16th after starting at the 10th) and a bogey at the next.

The Thai, a double gold medalist at the 2007 SEA Games, also bogeyed the third hole on his way to a two-over 73.

De Silva had an up-and-down day mixing six bogeys with three birdies at Port Dickson Golf and Country Club.

The 23-year-old was 30th in a PGM event over the course in late September and finished joint 14th in the PGM-ASEAN PGA Melaka Championship in May.

Ratchapol, who has made the cut in all six events on the ASEAN PGA Tour this season but has still to register a top-10 finish, carded five birdies, a double bogey and a bogey in a round 69.

Thailand’s Kwanchai Tannin, last season’s ASEAN PGA Tour number one who was joint third after the first round, fell back with a 74 and his teenaged countryman Phachara Khongwatmai, who won last year’s Singha Hua Hin Open aged just 14, added a 73 to his opening 74 and lies in joint 50th spot.

Indonesia's Kurnia Herishandy was able to enter to top ten with a round of 2 under par following an even par 71 on the first day. Adi Bramantio, the only other Indonesian player here, was in 50th place with rounds of 74 and 73.

Leading second round scores (Par - 71):

136 - Kenneth De Silva (Mas) 68-68

137 - Ratchapol Jantavara (Tha) 68-69, Pipatpong Naewsuk (Tha) 64-73, Lim Eng Seng (Mas) 69-68

138 - Varut Chomchalam (Tha) 66-72, Wilson Choo Zhe Ming (Mas) 69-69, Mohd Sukree Othman (Mas) 69-69

139 - Tanatchan Puaktes (Tha) 72-67, Kemarol Baharin (Mas) 67-72

140 - Airil Rizman (Mas) 68-72, Varan Israbhakdi (Tha) 70-70, Mohd Azman Basharudin (Mas) 69-71, Kurnia Herishandy (Ina) 71-69

Selected:

147 - Adi Bramantio (INA) 74-73