Yosuke Asaji quickly put a disappointing second round behind him by firing a solid eight-under-par 62 to storm up the leaderboard to share the third-round lead with Takanori Konishi and Kohei Okada at The Crowns on Saturday.
Related: Daiki Imano stays ahead as weather disrupts at Crowns
Inclement weather forced the suspension of the second round on Friday, with 54 players having to return on Saturday morning to complete their rounds. Asaji, who reached the clubhouse after signing for a 72, took advantage of his extra rest and came out firing with four birdies for an outward 31.
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He continued his birdie blitz with another four birdies in his next six holes after the turn before a bogey on 16 briefly halted his momentum. The 31-year-old, who is seeking to end a four-year title drought on the JGTO, drained a birdie at the last to complete a remarkable comeback with his three-day total of six-under-par 204.
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“My putting was definitely the best part of my round today. But I also had a few lucky ones where I just tapped and hoped for the best, and they dropped like the one for birdie on 15.
“The weather was bad the last two days, and it felt so much easier today. As I played, I started to feel the momentum go my way. I checked the leaderboard mid-round out of curiosity, and when I saw I was on top, I got excited because it has been a while since I felt that way,” said Asaji.
Philippines’ Juvic Pagunsan posted a 67 to be among the four players tied for fourth, one shot behind the leaders in the penultimate round of the JPY 110,000,000 event.
