Ryutaro Nagano took over the lead at the ANA Open Golf Tournament with his two-day total of 12-under-par 132 after he signed for a second-round four-under-par 68 at the Sapporo Golf Club Wattsu Course in Hokkaido on Friday.
Related: Takashi Ogiso powers ahead in ANA Open
Ryuichi Oiwa and Ryosuke Kinoshita returned with matching 66s to share second place with Aguri Iwasaki (67) while overnight leader Takashi Ogiso slipped to fifth place following a 71.
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36-year-old Nagano stumbled early with a bogey on the second hole but picked up three shots in succession before making four straight pars to turn in 34. He birdied 10 and marked his card with six straight pars before a birdie-par finish saw him reach home in 34.
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“Apart from the bogey on the second hole, it was overall a good round for me. I managed to organise my game pretty well. Despite finding the rough all day, I could still use my advantage in distance control to get the ball closer to the green and create birdie chances,” said Nagano, who is chasing his first JGTO win this week.
“I know I need to keep stretching my score. I’ve managed to do that and will be hoping to do so again during the weekend.”
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After missing the cut in two of his last three events, 33-year-old Kinoshita found himself back for the weekend action – thanks to his improved swing change.
“After missing the cut at The Open Championship, I realised I have not been hitting consistent shots. So, I thought I had to make significant swing changes, which I believe is starting to pay off.
“As for putting, I’ve been getting advice from Mikumu Horikawa, whom I usually play practice rounds with. My putting was unstable last week and the week before, but with a bit of advice, I’ve been able to make short putts without missing, which was great,” said Kinoshita, who traded seven birdies against one bogey.
