South Korea’s Song Young-han soared into the lead after carding a superb eight-under-par 64 in the second round of the Sansan KBC Augusta on Friday.
Starting the day three shots behind, the 32-year-old notched up nine birdies against a single bogey to lead by one shot with a 12-under-par 132 total at Keya Golf Club in Fukuoka.
Related: Rookie Kosuke Suzuki serves notice with flawless card
The overnight leader Kosuke Suzuki shot a 68 to finish in sole second place, while Filipino star Justin De Los Santos was among three players a shot behind in third after shooting a 68 at the 50th edition of the tournament, the JGTO‘s 14th event this season.
Takumi Kanaya, who currently ranks second on the money list, carded a solid 69 to tie for fourth place with a 135 total.
Song, whose only JGTO victory came at the 2016 SMBC Singapore Open, birdied two of his starting holes but dropped a shot at the par-four fourth hole.
However, he quickly rebounded, gaining strokes on the fifth, eighth, and ninth to make the turn at 32. He kept the momentum going with four more birdies in his final seven holes of the day, clinching the top spot for the first time this season.
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Song relished the hot weather, stating that he thrived in such conditions.
“Today everything was good, but I think the score turned out this way because the putts went in,” said Song.
“It was too hot during the Japan PGA Championship in Yokohama, and isn’t KBC always hot? So, I feel that this week isn’t as hot in comparison. There isn’t much humidity either. I perform better in the heat than in the cold, so I prefer it hot.
“I’m grateful to be able to play in the final round. I’m in a good position, and with two more rounds to go, I’ll just play my golf and give it my best.”
De Los Santos was pleased to remain in contention as he continued his relentless pursuit of a maiden JGTO victory.
He carded five birdies against a single bogey.
“It was a good day. I think I was able to make some good shots. When you can create many birdie chances, it often turns into a good round,” he said.
“I’m satisfied with the past two days. Over the next two days, I’ll monitor my condition and play, hoping to maintain this momentum.
“My goal for this week, not just limited to this week, of course, is to win. I want to keep my goals simple and focus on my play.”
Leading second round scores:
132: Song Young-han (Kor) 68-64;
133: Kosuke Suzuki 65-68;
134: Park Sung-joon (Kor) 66-68, Justin De Los Santos (Phi) 66-68, Taichi Nabetani 68-66;
135: Masanori Kobayashi 67-68, Takumi Kanaya 66-69, Jinichiro Kozuma 69-66, Tomofumi Ouchi 66-69;
136: Ryutaro Nagano 70-66, Lee Sang-hee (Kor) 70-66, Masatsugu Morofuji 68-68, Riki Kawamoto 67-69, Shugo Imahira 68-68, Tomoharu Otsuki 66-70, Ryo Katsumata 69-67, Tomoyo Ikemura 67-69.
