Ervin Chang and Shahriffuddin Ariffin kept the Malaysian flag flying into the weekend of the SJM Macao Open, following the conclusion of the second round on Friday. Chang fired a superb 66 to soar up the leaderboard into tied 16th position on five-under-par 135 (69, 66), while Shahriffuddin signed in a second successive 68 to lie joint 22nd on four-under-par 136.
The third Malaysian in the field of the US$1 million Asian Tour event, Galven Green, bowed out despite a battling second round of even-par 70. Playing for the first time at the hilly and challenging Macau Golf & Country Club, Green’s 36-hole total of five-over-par 145 was six shots shy of the projected cutline of one-under-par.
Having missed the halfway cut in the last two editions of the SJM Macao Open, both Chang and Shahriffuddin were elated to be still in the mix. Starting from the 10th tee in the afternoon session, Chang chalked up three birdies on his first nine and added one more down the stretch.
“It definitely feels good to shoot a bogey-free round, four-under-par. I missed a couple of putts out there, but that’s the game of golf, so I’m not going to complain too much. I’m hitting it good, I’m feeling pretty decent, just trying to keep my mind fresh. I missed the cut twice at the SJM Macao Open, so it feels good to be going into the weekend,“ said Chang, who was the inaugural recipient of the Asian Tour’s Kyi Hla Han Future Champions award in 2023. “There are two days left and I’m just going to stay patient. There’s a lot of golf left to be played, 36 holes, so it’s anybody’s game. I’m just hoping for a similar round like this,“ added the 27-year-old.
Shahriffuddin meanwhile offset a double-bogey at the par-three 6th hole and two bogeys with six birdies. “I’m happy that I finally made the cut here! My game has been good so far, I’m controlling my shots well, and my putting has been good too. I’ll stick to the same gameplan over the weekend; just take it hole by hole, and focus on making fairways and greens. If the birdies come, that’s great; if not, just be happy to walk away with par,“ said Shahriffuddin, 26.
Thailand’s Sarit Suwannarut leads the tournament on 12-under-par following a stunning second round 63, three shots ahead of China’s Ye Wocheng.
