Takumi Kobayashi, a 21-year-old amateur, outplayed the professionals by posting a seven-under-par 64 to take the first round lead at the ACN Championship Golf Tournament on Thursday.
Kobayashi mixed his card with nine birdies and two bogeys to hold a one-shot lead over Aguri Iwasaki, who returned with a 65 at the Miki Golf Club.
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Reflecting on his round, Kobayashi said he was pleased with how calm and composed he felt throughout the day.
“I felt really relaxed out there today. My putting was good, and my tee shots were solid, so I was able to hit most of my approaches from the fairway. That gave me plenty of birdie chances, and a few long putts went in, which helped a lot,” said Kobayashi.
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Kobayashi added that his recent stretch of tournaments has helped him stay sharp mentally and technically.
“I’ve been competing for several weeks straight, including the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in Dubai. So, I’ve been able to stay in a good tournament rhythm. I’ve been in good form all year, and I feel like I’ve found a nice balance with my game.”
Kobayashi opened his campaign with birdies on holes two and five. Although he dropped a shot on the par-five seventh, Kobayashi was quick to shrug it off.
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“I got a bit aggressive going for the pin and found the bunker, but overall it was close to a perfect round.”
He picked up further gains on eight and 10 before going on a four-hole birdie blitz, starting from the par-five 12. He dropped another shot on 16 but would recover quickly with a closing birdie on 18.
“At first, I just wanted to play near the top, but now I’m aiming to win. It’s the perfect start,” said Kobayashi.
