Inamori leads chasing pack with opening 64

Yuki Inamori will take a one-shot lead into the second round of this week’s Sansan KBC Augusta Golf Tournament after carding a bogey-free eight-under-par highlighted by six birdies and an eagle at the Keya Golf Club on Thursday.
 
Taiga Sugihara also returned with a flawless card to trail Inamori in second place with a 65, while six players, including Ryo Ishikawa are a further shot back where they are tied for third after signing for matching 66s.
 
Inamori, who is chasing his sixth JGTO title this week was pleased with his day’s efforts as he managed to execute his shots without much trouble. 
 
“Everything clicked today. My ball-striking was solid, and my putter delivered when it mattered,” said the 30-year-old.
 
The highlight of Inamori’s round came at the par-five nine where he drove a perfectly executed 270-yard three-wood approach that cleared the centre bunker and left him with a six-meter uphill putt. 
 
“I trusted the line and rolled it in confidently.”
 
Despite his early promise, Inamori admitted the course has become increasingly challenging for him in recent years, but will continue to approach the next round with the same aggression.
 
“I used to love playing here, but since switching to bent grass greens for practice, I’ve struggled more on the greens here. There’s a long way to go. The greens are firm, and anything can happen. I’ll stay aggressive. Attack when possible, play smart when needed,” said Inamori.
 
Leading first round scores
*All Japanese unless indicated otherwise
64 – Yuki Inamori
65 – Taiga Sugihara
66 – Taichiro Ideriha, Ryo Ishikawa, Tatsunori Shogenji, Tomoyo Ikemura, Ryunosuke Furukawa, Ryutaro Nagano
 
Ends.