Four of Singapore’s 12-man contingent will enter the weekend at the Singapore Open presented by the Business Times – the most since 2018, when four locals made the cut – as James Leow, Ryan Ang and amateurs Brayden Lee and Troy Storm shrugged off muggy conditions at the Sentosa Golf Club’s Serapong Course to beat the one-over cut line.
It was a sensational round of golf for Leow, who bounced back in style with a five-under on Friday (Apr 24) morning, mixing six birdies and a lone bogey.
This was also Leow’s first time making the cut as a professional, having done so as an amateur back in the 2016, 2019 and 2020 editions.
The Asian Tour cardholder looked set for a flawless round before a bogey at the ninth and final hole left him tied for 38th, though he remained understandably upbeat about his strong performance.
“Definitely a good round, no complaints. Obviously, it was mistake-free till the last. Executed more of my shots that I was visualising and strategising with my caddie. So I think that was a big part of today,” he said.
Displaying a resilience that reminded of his breakthrough victory last November at the Aramco Invitational when he overcame overnight leader Angus Flanagan, despite being five strokes off the pace, Leow credited an intense but effective practice session after day one’s afternoon session for his improved showing.
“I lost a lot of strokes yesterday from ball striking and went to the range and hit three buckets of balls after the round. And tried to get a good sleep and good to have a good round today,” he added.
Leading the local pack were Lee and Ang, who ended the day in tied-19th with a three-under overall.
Still only 18, Lee, who has made the cut at the Singapore Open two years in a row, said, “It’s awesome. It’s great that I was able to put a somewhat good front foot forward and play well in the first two rounds. But things can change. So I’m looking forward to a much better day three and day four compared to last year.”
Two consecutive birdies at the seventh and eighth propelled Lee into a tie for seventh, but a missed putt at the last meant he settled for a still-impressive three-under-par round, following an opening even-par effort.
More fairways hit, sharper iron play and a “good putting day” were among the factors Lee credited for his performance, but avoiding undue pressure will be his main challenge as he looks to improve on last year’s showing.
“Stuff like not bringing too much stress into the third and fourth day helps a lot. Actually, most guys don’t really talk on course, but I feel like it lightens the mood a little and lets me get into my flow a little bit better.”
Ang, who came off a tied-16th finish at the Lanting Shaoxing Open that concluded on Sunday (Apr 19), was able to “plot his way around” the Serapong well, adding that his birdie on the fourth after missing a three-and-a-half foot putt on the third helped steady himself for the round.
Meanwhile, Troy – Singapore’s youngest representative at 16 – was also pleased with his even-par second round as he squeezed into the weekend with a one-over overall.
Having made his professional debut at last year’s edition, Troy was simply happy to be a part of his home Open.
“Playing in my home country, it means a lot. Just being able to represent Singapore is really special,” he said. “I am feeling pretty good after the last two days. I didn’t hit it that well with my irons, but really happy with the way I putted and made a lot of up-and-downs.”
