Riki Kawamoto was among the 70 players to make it through to the final two rounds at The 153rd Open after he posted a second round one-under-par 70 at Royal Portrush Golf Club on Friday.
Kawamoto, who is making his maiden Open appearance, traded three birdies against two bogeys to secure a tied-34th place with his two-day total of even-par 142 on a day where World No. 1 and three-time major winner Scottie Scheffler leads the field after signing for a 64 for a two-shot lead over Matt Fitzpatrick.
“I’m glad I made the cut,” said the 25-year-old, a two-time JGTO winner. “I played really poorly at the U.S. Open because I wasn’t fully prepared, but this week I’ve managed to produce some good results.
“I faced some tough situations on the front nine, and it stayed difficult through much of the round, but I managed to pick up key birdies on 11, 12, and 15. I want to keep playing my game as a step toward competing regularly on the world stage.”
Reigning JGTO money ranking winner Takumi Kanaya (72) and 2021 Masters Champion Hideki Matsuyama (69) will join Kawamoto in the weekend rounds after surviving the cut right on the bubble, which was set at one-over par
Meanwhile, it was the end of the road for Rikuya Hoshino, Shugo Imahira and Mikiya Akutsu after they posted rounds of 70, 75, and 73, respectively.
