Soomin Lee surged into the lead at the halfway stage of the Moutai Singapore Open after carding an impressive eight-under-par 64 to reach 12-under overall. The Korean ended his round with back-to-back birdies, rekindling memories of his runner-up finish at the same course during the 2011 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship.
Lee, who owns one DP World Tour title and five Korean PGA wins, said his past success in Singapore gives him confidence as he chases a much-needed result to secure his Asian Tour card for next year.
A group of 10 players sit two shots behind, including Kevin Yuan, Matthew Cheung, Ian Snyman, Wang Wei-hsuan, John Catlin, Sarit Suwannarut, James Piot, Caleb Surratt, Ollie Schniederjans, and Jeunghun Wang.
Catlin was bogey-free with an eagle and four birdies, while Wang, one of the biggest hitters on tour, credited his PGA Tour debut at the Canadian Open for sharpening his game. The US$2 million event marks the penultimate stop on The International Series, offering players a pathway to the LIV Golf League.
Order of Merit leader Kazuki Higa and International Series Rankings leader Scott Vincent both missed the cut, opening the door for Filipino Miguel Tabuena, who sits at eight under after a 68.
Singapore’s young amateurs also impressed — Brayden Lee shot 68 to reach seven under, while 16-year-old Troy Storm rebounded late to make the cut on five under, finishing alongside England’s Paul Casey.
