All three Filipinos, led by Justin Quiban, made the cut in the International Series Egypt at the Madinaty Golf Club in Cairo, Egypt Friday.
Quiban, who opened with a four-under-par 66 Thursday, cooled off with a 71 to drop to a share of 30th spot on 3-under 137.
Angelo Que and Miguel Tabuena, on the other hand, made the cut on the number on even par 140 after a 71 and 70, respectively.
After making only one bogey in the first round, Quiban stumbled with three bogeys and a double bogey, putting to waste his four-birdie effort. He missed six fairways and seven greens.
Que had two birdies against three bogeys while Tabuena made two birdies against two bogeys.
Meanwhile, Canadian Richard T. Lee looks like a man on a mission after he moved into the lead on day two, bidding to make amends for letting victory slip from his grasp last Sunday.
He shot a five-under-par 65 to go to 11 under for the US$1.5 million event to lead by one from American Andy Ogletree, who carded a 64.
American Sihwan Kim is a shot further back following a 66 — in a ground-breaking tournament that marks the first time the Asian Tour has visited Egypt.
Two-time Japan Tour winner Jinichiro Kozuma from Japan is tied with Kim after shooting 64, impressively one of the few players to make a challenge in the more difficult afternoon conditions when the wind was stronger.
Overnight leader Scott Hend from Australia had a disappointing day shooting a 74 to sit seven off the pace.
In-form Lee was on course to win last week’s International Series Morocco but made a costly bogey on the penultimate hole while Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond stormed through to win at the death with an eagle, birdie finish.
However, the loss has done nothing to his confidence: he birdied six of the last seven holes on the front nine to go 10 under on the front nine for the first two days. He nearly aced the par-three eighth where his tee shot hit the flag leaving him a tap-in for a two.
“I feel like it is more comfortable to my eyes on the front nine, the back nine is a bit harder for me, I feel like I can’t putt as well as the front nine, yesterday and today,” said Lee, a two-time winner on the Asian Tour, with the most recent being the 2017 Shinhan Donghae Open in Korea.
