Leading Trio Set for Dramatic Laguna Lang Co Finale

Hue, Vietnam: Australian Coby Carruthers, New Zealand’s Yuki Miya and Vietnam’s Nguyen Trong Hoang will all be bidding for a slice of golfing history in what promises to be a thrilling climax to the 17th Faldo Series Asia Grand Final.

Playing in what is his final appearance as an amateur, 21-year-old Carruthers fired a scintillating second-round eight-under-par 63 over the Nick Faldo Signature Course at Laguna Golf Lang Co.

With a 36-hole total of nine-under 133, Carruthers will take a one-stroke lead from Miya into Friday’s final round with Trong Hoang in third place on six-under 136.

While Carruthers snared nine birdies against a solitary bogey on day two, Miya soared into contention with a bogey-free seven-under 64 while Trong Hoang posted a one-under 70, highlighted by a stunning eagle-three at the long 15th.

On Friday, Carruthers and Miya will be aiming to become the first player from their respective countries to win the Faldo Series Asia Grand Final, while Trong Hoang has his sights set on extending the winning streak of Vietnamese players in the tournament to four years.

Extra intrigue is added by the fact that this will be the last competitive round for Carruthers before he joins the ranks of the professionals, having secured his playing rights for the PGA Tour of Australasia a fortnight ago.

“To win the Faldo Series Asia Grand Final would be revenge for me having finished fifth here two years ago,” said Carruthers, who recovered from a back complaint during his opening-day 70 to hit all 18 greens in regulation in round two.

He didn’t miss a single fairway off the tee and if his putter had behaved a little better he would have had a chance to record a sub-60 round. As well as a three-putt bogey at the fourth hole – the sole blemish on his card – the winner of the Faldo Junior Tour Australia in December failed to convert short birdie opportunities at the second and 18th and saw an eagle attempt from 12 feet at the third stay above ground.

“I like this course. It suits me because you have to play smart,” added the Sydneysider, a member at Concord Golf Club who is 643rd in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR).

Miya and Trong Hoang have also shown their liking for the award-winning course and have cause for optimism that they can emerge triumphant.

“You have to keep the ball in play every hole – that’s the key,” said Christchurch-based 20-year-old Miya, a member at Russley Golf Club, who has an extra incentive to claim victory here.

It was in 2018 that his elder brother, Hiroki, finished runner-up to Japan’s Suzuka Yamaguchi in the 12th Faldo Series Asia Grand Final, just the second at Lang Co. It's the best performance to date by a Kiwi in the Series.

“I got some tips from my brother about the course – and now I hope to go one better than him,” said Miya, who made international headlines at the end of February when he upstaged the professionals of the Asian Tour and Japan Tour by leading at the half-way stage of the New Zealand Open at Millbrook Resort. He eventually finished tied 19th, winning the award as low amateur.

Miya, 414th in the WAGR, added: “I held my own there and proved that I can play well. Now it would be really cool to be the first New Zealander to win the Faldo Series Asia Grand Final.”

While 15-year-old Trong Hoang does not possess the experience of the two players he will partner in the final group in the final round, he can be sure of receiving the biggest and most vociferous support as he attempts to emulate Nguyen Anh Minh (2023), Nguyen Duc Son (2024) and Nguyen Tuan Anh (2025) and become the fourth successive Vietnamese winner.

“There are so many good players here this week. I will just try to play my game,” said Trong Hoang, who produced the shot of day two, a sweetly-struck three-wood from 266 yards at the par-five 15th that came to rest 20 feet from the flag. He duly holed the putt for an eagle that prompted roars of approval from the spectators following him around.

Should the leading trio slip up, Japan’s Daichi Hayashi (137) and New Zealand’s Brodie Ferguson and Indian Prince Bainsla (both 139) will be poised to pounce.

Meanwhile, an exciting finale is in store in the Girls’ category with Korean Lee Su-min, Japan’s Nana Fujiwara and Vietnam’s Nguyen Khanh Linh locked together at the top of the leaderboard on two-under 140. Yang Aye-on of Korea is one shot back with Le Chuc An, the top ranked Vietnamese female, in fifth place on 142.

After a 66 on day one to set the pace, 13-year-old Khanh Linh found the going tougher. Six-over through 14 holes of round two, she appeared to have fallen out of contention. But, showing a steely resolve, she proceeded to make birdies at 15, 16 and 17 to sign for a 74 that keeps her very much in the picture.