Japan's Yosuke Asaji leads after first round of 2010 Asian Amateur Championship
Japan’s Yosuke Asaji leads after the first day of the 2010 Asian Amateur Championship. His round of four-under-par 67 was enough to put him one stroke clear of compatriot Hideki Matsuyama, Australia’s Jake Higginbottom and the Korean pair of Lee Jae-hyeok and Park Il-Hwan, who all finished on three-under-par totals of 68. Seven of the 27 Asia Pacific member nations are represented in the top ten.
Asaji was the only player of the 118 competitors to sign for a bogey-free round on the 7,068-yard (6,463-metre) West Course at Kasumigaseki Country Club, which lies one hour north west of Japan’s capital, Tokyo. The 17-year-old opened and closed his first round with birdies, making further progress in between with additional birdies on the ninth and fourteenth holes.
“I played perfectly today with no bogeys, and I only missed the green on one hole,” he explained. “I think I play well at Kasumigaseki, so hopefully I can do better than last year, when I finished 41st, because I really want to play in the Masters in the future.”
Fellow Japanese Matsuyama made three more birdies than Asaji, including a streak of four in a row from the 14th to the 17th holes – Matsuyama started from the 10th tee. Four bogeys, however, cost the 18-year-old dearly as he slipped to a share of second place.
Matsuyama said: “In the morning especially, I was not hitting the ball very well, but I really concentrated on my putting and got my game going after the 14th hole. I’m going to focus very hard on every shot tomorrow.”
Joining Matsuyama on three under are Koreans Lee and Park, both of whom made five birdies and two bogeys during today’s opening round. It was Seoul’s Lee who set the pace, reaching four under with a birdie on the 564-yard, par-five sixth – Lee began on the 10th tee. A bogey on seven reined him back to three under, but, nevertheless, Lee took the early clubhouse lead.
“I am very, very happy to lead,” he said by the ninth green. “I had two bogeys today which I am not so happy about, but I am still pleased. There is a long way to go, but it is a good start.”
Park was similarly disappointed with his two bogeys, which came on the seventh and ninth holes, but an inward nine of 32, courtesy of birdies on 10, 11, 15 and the 454-yard, par-4 18th more than compensated for a stuttering finish to the outward half.
“I was satisfied with the way I played – not very happy, but not sad either. I played very well in the second part of my round,” said Park. “This tournament gives me a chance to make my dreams come true, so I really want to do well.”
Completing the quartet on 68 is Jake Higginbottom. Starting on the 10th, the 16-year-old from Charlestown, New South Wales, reached the turn on two under par, before a bogey on the fourth cut him back to minus one. Back-to-back birdies on five and six, however, and an “excellent” up-and-down from behind the green on 18, ensured that he would go into Friday tied for second place.
A further stroke behind on two under are Indonesia’s William Sjaichudin, Hung Chien-yao of Chinese Taipei, Singaporeans Lam Zhiqun and Choo Tze Huang and China’s Huang Wenyi.
Full hole-by-hole scores from the first day’s play can be found on AsianAmateurChampionship.com. Tomorrow’s second round will begin at 7.00am, with games again commencing from both the first and 10th tees.
