Yusaku Hosono, Kohei Okada and Taiga Nagano will take a two-shot advantage into the third and final round of the LOPIA Fujisankei Classic after emerging as the second round leaders on Saturday.
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Hosono and Okada returned with identical four-under-par 66 while Nagano posted a 67 to sit atop the leaderboard with their two-day total of eight-under-par 132 after play had resumed following the cancellation of the second round on Friday due to inclement weather.
Taiga Semikawa, who held the share of the first round lead, trails the trio in fourth place after he posted a 69 for a 134 at the Fujizakura Country Club.
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Hosono, who carded five birdies against a lone bogey, credited his putting for keeping him in contention despite not striking the ball at his best.
“My shots weren’t very stable today, but my putting really saved me and that’s how I managed to post a good score,” said Hosono.
When asked what he had done after Friday’s round was cancelled, the 22-year-old revealed a light-hearted moment where he spent part of the day having his hair cut in his hotel room by his mother.
“She’s been cutting my hair for about 20 years. I don’t really go to salons, and since I’m heading to Korea next week, I knew I wouldn’t have time. So, we just did it in the hotel room with our own kit,” quipped Hosono.
Meanwhile, Okada’s round featured seven birdies against three bogeys, and the 23-year-old was pleased to keep himself in contention despite the dropped shots.
“I felt three bogeys were too many, but I also made some solid birdies, so I just want to keep this momentum going into the final day tomorrow,” said Okada.
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One of the turning points for Okada came at the par-three 13th, where he recovered strongly after back-to-back bogeys on 11 and 12.
“I was frustrated, but I knew I had to stop the slide there. I aimed left of the pin, struck it well, and the ball landed near the hole. That birdie was pure determination, and it carried me to another one at 15, so in the end, it turned out really well.”
Nagano, who backed up his opening 65 with a 67, admitted his driver was errant all day but felt his smart course management and solid iron play kept him in the mix.
“From the morning warm-up, everything was going left. I barely found any fairways today, but I kept leaving myself easier approach shots, so even though I was in trouble, I could manage it,” said Nagano.
With a chance to secure his first professional win on the JGTO, Nagano is embracing the opportunity.
“I’m in a position to fight for the win again, and it’s been a while since I’ve felt this. I want to enjoy it. If I can keep my driver straight, I won’t shoot over par as my irons are good enough. So, I’ll go in with that mindset tomorrow,” said the 22-year-old.
