Taisei Shimizu took off with a bogey-free seven-under-par 65 to lead the first round of the ANA Open by two shots on Thursday.
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Korea’s Ryu Hyun-woo, together with Kento Yamawaki, Sejung Hiramoto and Ren Yonezawa shared second place after returning with matching 67s at Sapporo Golf Club Wattsu Course.
Starting from the back nine, Shimizu settled quickly with two steady pars before igniting his charge. Birdies at the 12th, 14th, 16th and 17th holes propelled him to a four-under 32 at the turn.
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He kept his momentum rolling on the homeward stretch, adding further birdies at the first and second holes before capping off his round in style with another at the par-five fifth.
Shimizu, who won the Japan PGA Championship in credited both his mindset and his coach—who happened to be celebrating a birthday—for his sharp performance.
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“Today is my coach’s birthday, so I really wanted to give him a good present with my golf,” said Shimizu. “Overall, my shots were good today, and I finally felt like I was able to control the ball. I changed my mindset to focus on controlling everything from the address, and I think that has really helped.”
Shimizu also admitted that the Wattsu Course also suits his eye, giving him confidence to stay aggressive without taking unnecessary risks.
“I think I like the course. There aren’t many out-of-bounds areas, and even if I miss, like on the last hole, it usually ends up in the trees—something I can still manage.”
