Kazuki Higa jumped 25 places after signing for a second round seven-under-par 64 to move up to tied-ninth place, six shots back of American leader Max Greyserman at Baycurrent Classic on Friday.
Related: Takumi Kanaya leads Japan’s charge
The 30-year-old is the only Japanese inside the top 10 in the PGA TOUR event, which is being held at the Yokohama Country Club. Takumi Kanaya, who started the day tied for fourth, slipped to tied-19th place after returning with a 70.
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Higa stormed out of the block with an eye-catching front nine that featured eight birdies, including six in a row from the first hole. He picked up another gain on eight and would cap the stretch with another on the ninth to turn in 28.
“It wasn’t like I was stuffing every shot close, except maybe on the par-fives,” Higa said. “Recently I’ve been hitting it to about a flagstick but not converting. Today those same putts started dropping. I didn’t take any big risks, and when you’re holing everything inside a pin length, it’s amazing how a score like this can happen. It was really fun.”
He credited his putter for making the difference. “My touch and reads were really good today. I kept finding the right lines and was able to stroke the putts confidently,” he explained. “The birdies on one and two were key—both looked like they might break but didn’t, and seeing them drop right in the middle gave me confidence for the rest of the round.”
Higa even managed to limit the damage on the tougher inward nine, making only one bogey at the 12th.
“I got lucky on 10 and 11,” he admitted. “I hooked my tee shot on 10 but it stopped short of the bushes, and although my third rolled back off the green, I chipped in from about 10 metres. That was huge.”
He said he has recently stuck to his regular putting grip rather than switching mid-round as he sometimes does. “Even when I miss, the ball is starting where I want. Lately, I’ve been hitting my spots and today everything just clicked,” he said.
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The 28 he posted on the front nine was a personal best. “I’ve shot 29 twice before, but 28 is the lowest of my life,” he smiled. “To do it in such an important event, once a year in Japan, feels really lucky.”
Comparing conditions to the blustery first round, Higa said the calmer weather helped. “When there’s only a light breeze like today, you can score. Even I can reach the par-fives, and the PGA guys can hit short irons for their seconds. If you can pick up birdies on those tough holes, big numbers are possible.”
Having flown back from Indonesia on Monday, Higa said he is keeping expectations modest. “My main tours are Japan and Asia. I just hope to earn enough here to cover my flights for the Asian events,” he joked. “As long as I can still choose where I play, I feel fortunate. It’s a privilege just to be competing.”
Greyserman, meanwhile, holds a four-shot lead over compatriots Alex Smalley, Xander Schauffele and Sweden’s Alex Noren with his two-day total of 12-under-par 130.
