In-form Kensei Hirata birdied his last hole to share the second round lead with Ryo Katsumata at this week’s Panasonic Open Golf Championship after signing for a flawless four-under-par 68 at the Arima Royal Golf Club in Hyogo prefecture on Friday.
Related: Song Yong-han stuns Panasonic Open with opening 61
Katsumata marred his card with a lone bogey on the sixth hole but otherwise returned with a 65 to tie Hirata for the lead with his two-day total of 14-under-par 130.
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South Korea’s Song Yong-han, who started his first round with an eye-catching 61, carded a 70 to share third place with Mikiya Akutsu at the ¥100,000,000 event.
Chasing his sixth JGTO victory and fourth win this season, Hirata started strongly with a birdie on the first hole. He picked up another shot on six before birdieing 12 and 18 to go atop the leaderboard.
“I didn’t want to go into tomorrow with a bogey on the last hole, so I was lucky it went in. Finishing as the leader is definitely a plus. Tomorrow is the start of the final rounds, so I want to reset and give it my best again.
“I’m leading by one stroke, but in reality, one stroke isn’t much. It’s going to be a close contest, so I need to play really well to stay in the running. But I’ll approach it like any other day, reset my mindset, and get ready for tomorrow.,” said Hirata.
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Despite being unable to replicate his opening performance where he fired a stunning 61 to take the outright overnight lead, Song’s bogey-free 70 still placed him just one shot back of Hirata and Katsumata.
From the highs of his opening round where he marked his card with 11 birdies, the 33-year-old South Korean only had two birdies on the first and 15 holes to show for on the second day.
“It’s really strange how things can change overnight. It’s the same course, same player using the same clubs.
“I didn’t hit my shots well today and couldn’t create many birdie opportunities. I had some chances on the back nine, but the putts just wouldn’t drop. But overall, I’m still happy I didn’t have any bogeys today,” said Song.
Akutsu, who was forced to withdraw from last week’s ANA Open because of sharp shoulder pain, bounced back with a 66 to remain in contention for his breakthrough on the JGTO.
“I was just focused on getting enough rest before this tournament. I really want to win, so I’ve been telling myself and others that it’s not about wanting to win anymore—it’s about needing to win. Today’s only the second day, but I’m pushing myself, celebrating birdies with fist pumps to keep my momentum up. I want to build on this energy tomorrow and the day after,” said the 29-year-old.
