Yusuke Sakamoto and Taiga Semikawa made their move by carding matching four-under-par 68 to share the third round lead with overnight leader Shori Ishizuka at the Sansan KBC Augusta Golf Tournament on Saturday.
Related: Shori Ishizuka fires remarkable 63 to lead Sansan KBC Augusta
Ishizuka posted a 71 but continued to stake his place atop the leaderboard with his three-day total of 14-under-par 202 at the Keya Golf Club.
Zimbabwean Scott Vincent returned with the day’s lowest score of 66 to trail the trio by a single shot in tied-fourth place alongside Yuwa Kosaihira (68).
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After being sidelined from golf for about three months due to a rib injury, Semikawa was delighted to find the form that has led him to five victories on the JGTO.
Despite carding two bogeys on holes four and five, the 24-year-old responded with a birdie on the sixth hole before firing four consecutive birdies from the 12th hole to surge up the leaderboard.
“When I made those two consecutive bogeys, I felt quite frustrated. I had been aiming too aggressively for the pin, so I decided to play it safe and hit the ball towards the centre of the greens.
“By playing a bit more cautiously and staying patient, I was able to string together those four birdies.
“After breaking my ribs, I had to take about three months off, though I only really rested for about a month. During that time, my desire to play golf grew incredibly strong. My will to win tournaments became stronger than before,” said Semikawa.
Meanwhile, Ishizuka, who led by three shots at the start of the round, was relieved to be able to hold onto his position atop the leaderboard after enduring a nervous round.
“I got a double bogey early in my front-nine, and for a moment, I wasn’t sure how things would turn out. I had to reset my mind, and luckily, I managed to get a birdie on the fifth hole, followed by another birdie on the ninth. I was feeling nervous as it was the first time I was playing in the final group. Those birdies helped me to calm down, and I was able to play better in the back nine.
“I personally felt that, given my current form, I could have done a bit better. But I’m honestly happy that I managed to stay in the final group for tomorrow,” said Ishizuka.
