Kennedy holds steady to stay in the mix

Australia's Brad Kennedy endured a roller-coaster second round to remain in contention for the Japan PGA Championship, as other international competitors also made their way up the leaderboard on Friday.

The 49-year-old Kennedy salvaged a one-under-par 71 at the Eniwa Country Club, marking his scorecard with an eagle, three birdies, and four bogeys, reaching the halfway stage tied for second place on five-under-par 139, two shots behind leader Kensei Hirata, who signed for a 69.

Hirata birdied three of his final four holes of the day, underlining his intention to win for the second time this season. He claimed his breakthrough victory at the Mizuno Open in May.

Also in joint second spot was four-time JGTO winner Hwang Jung-gon of South Korea, who added a 71 to his opening 68. Hwang was a one-time runner-up in the tournament, losing in the playoff to Ryo Ishikawa in the 2019 edition.

American Todd Baek and Justin De Los Santos of the Philippines were the other two foreign players making their presence felt on the second day. Baek shot a second successive 70 to be tied for fourth on 140, just a shot ahead of De Los Santos, who impressed with the day's lowest score of 67.

This sparks a thrilling contest between the international players and local stars, as the previous leg - Shigeo Nagashima Invitational Sega Sammy Cup - had already been won by South Africa's Jbe Kruger.

Having just recovered from a knee injury, Kennedy has made it clear that he wants nothing but to keep pursuing his next JGTO win.

"My number one goal is to win again," declared Kennedy, who has yet to add a fourth win since he last captured the Sega Sammy Cup in 2018.

"I just want to keep competing, go on fighting, and do my best. I've been playing on the circuit for 13 years now, if I could do another five years, I would.

"I just need to stay focused and really understand what I want, and go get it."

As for Hirata, he has refused to get carried away just yet although a victory in the flagship tournament this week will reward the winner with a five-year exemption on JGTO.

"I try not to think about unnecessary things because it's not good to think about them, it makes me nervous," he said.

Leading second round scores:

137: Kensei Hirata 68-69;

139: Hwang Jung-gon (Kor) 68-71, Brad Kennedy (Aus) 68-71;

140: Tatsuya Kodai 71-69, Kunihiro Kamii 69-71, Todd Baek (US) 70-70, Tomohiro Ishizaka 69-71;

141: Justin De Los Santos (Phi) 74-67, Ryo Ishikawa 68-73, Taiga Semikawa 70-71.