PATTAYA, Thailand—What began as a day of optimism for Philippine golf at the 33rd SEA Games here quickly turned into a sobering reminder of how unforgiving the sport can be.
Rolando Bregente Jr. and Rianne Malixi, the country’s two brightest performers after opening-day fireworks, both watched their medal hopes dim as struggles on the tricky Siam Country Club Rolling Hills layout sent them tumbling down the standings midway through the competition.
Bregente looked poised to stay in gold-medal contention after a stirring opening-round 65 that gave him a share of the lead. But the 24-year-old Lyceum standout could not recreate Thursday’s crisp ball-striking and steady putting.
He opened the second round with a shaky but manageable sequence – a bogey-birdie combination – at the back before riding a birdie-bogey roller coaster through the first two holes at the front.
Still, an electrifying eagle on the par-5 sixth revived hopes that he could mount yet another charge. At two-under for the day and nine-under overall, Bregente seemed ready to stay within arm’s reach of the leaders.
However, three straight bogeys to close out his round, punctuated by a painful lip-out for par on the ninth, dropped him to a one-over 73. His 138 total pulled him down from joint first to solo third, and more critically, seven shots behind Thailand’s Pongsapak Laopakdee – his opening-round co-leader who instead surged ahead with a brilliant 66 for a 13-under 131.
The women’s side saw a parallel story unfold. Malixi, who dazzled with an opening-round 70 to share the early lead, suffered a stunning reversal after limping with a 79. Her round unraveled with miscues on the greens and loose approach shots, dropping her all the way to a share of seventh at 149.
After a bogey-birdie exchange on No. 3, she stumbled with a triple bogey on No. 5 that set her back. She managed only two more birdies the rest of the way, offset by four bogeys and a double bogey on the eighth.
Her stumble opened the door for Thailand’s Kapattanaskul Kritchanya, whose gritty 70 allowed her to pull away at 140 – three clear of compatriot Prachnakorn Prim. With the Thais occupying the top two spots, another gold-silver sweep loomed for the region’s powerhouse.
The men’s team found little relief elsewhere. Chris Remata bounced back with a 70 for 148, but Perry Bucay’s 153 and Shinichi Suzuki’s continued struggles left the Philippines at 439 – sixth place in the eight-nation field.
Thailand stretched its lead with a blistering 17-under 199 for a 415 total, moving within two rounds of another potential runaway gold.
In the women’s division, the Philippines slipped out of medal position after a 156 team output dropped them to joint fourth at 305, just three shots behind Vietnam’s 302. Though still within range for bronze, the Filipinas ceded major ground to Thailand, whose 283 aggregate put them seven shots clear of Singapore and firmly in command.
With 36 holes still to play in both divisions, the Philippines is not mathematically out. But the Siam course – its slick greens, punishing undulations and momentum-killing trouble spots – has already exposed the slightest lapses in precision and confidence.
For Bregente and Malixi, who dazzled on Day 1 and faltered on Day 2, the challenge now lies not just in chasing the leaders but in regaining the sharpness that put them in medal conversation.
