Ryuichi Oiwa played through the pain barrier to card a stunning first round nine-under-par 61 and seized the early lead at the Maezawa Cup at MZ Golf Club in Chiba Prefecture on Thursday.
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The 27-year-old, who is chasing his first JGTO win, contemplated pulling out due to severe neck and back pain, but ultimately decided to compete, motivated by the chance to perform in his home tournament.
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“Actually, I was in pretty bad shape this morning. I had severe pain in my back and neck, and was even considering withdrawing. But since this is a local tournament for me, I thought I should at least try to get out on the course and decided to start,” said Oiwa.
Oiwa wasted no time making an impression, going out with a blistering pace by firing four consecutive birdies in his opening back nine 10. He reached the turn in 30 after picking up two more birdies on 17 and 18.
He continued his birdie blitz on holes two, three, and nine to reach the summit of the leaderboard with a flawless 61.
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“From the beginning, I made several birdies, and the round developed far better than I expected. Because of the pain, my shots were inconsistent, but things somehow just clicked today,” said Oiwa.
Oiwa will start the second round with a one-shot lead over Ren Yonezawa (62), while New Zealand’s Michael Hendry spearheads the international charge in a tie for third place after signing for a 63.
