Japanese hope Masamichi Uehira was the surprise package on day three of the Asia-Pacific Panasonic Open yesterday, firing a six-under-par 65 for a narrow one-shot lead.
It was Uehira’s best score of the week and took him to a total of 14-under-par 199, but nine players remain within four shots off the pace at the ¥150 million (US$1.9 million) event sanctioned by the Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour. Philippine sensation Juvic Pagunsan is in second. The reigning Asian Tour No. 1, he was leading for most of the round, but dropped bogeys on 13 and 15 to settle for 67 at the Higashi Hirono Golf Club in Hyogo, Japan.
Japan’s Tomohiro Kondo, Koumei Oda and Masahiro Kawamura were a further shot back, while overnight leader Hiroyuki Fujita posted a 70 to lie in tied sixth place on 202. Wu Ashun (67) of China, who played on the Asian Tour in 2008 and 2009, and Darren Beck (70) of Australia both shot hole-in-ones on holes seven and 11 respectively and are four shots back.
Uehira, who has yet to win on the Japan Golf Tour, surprised even himself when he jumped into the lead courtesy of sharp shooting iron play and two closing birdies.
“I want to be able to play the game without any stress. I had many birdie chances from good distances. I wanted to stay close to the top, but didn’t expect to be leading,” Uehira said.
“Somehow, my swing felt really good at the practice range and I kind of brought the form with me into the round. It is going to be an exciting final round. Let’s hope it goes in my favor,” the 34-year-old added.
Taiwan’s Lee Chieh-po shot a 71 for two-over, Chan Yih-shin shot a 77 for three-over and Hung Chien-yao carded 76 for four-over.
Additional reporting by Staff writer
Shohei Ohtani and his wife arrived in South Korea with his Los Angeles Dodgers teammates yesterday ahead of their season-opening games with the San Diego Padres next week. Ohtani, wearing a black training suit and a cap backwards, was the first Dodgers player who showed up at the arrival gate of Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. His wife, Mamiko Tanaka, walked several steps behind him. As a crowd of fans, many wearing Dodgers jerseys, shouted his name and cheered slogans, Ohtani briefly waved his hand, but did not say anything before he entered a limousine bus with his wife. Fans held placards
Taiwan’s Tai Tzu-ying yesterday advanced to the quarter-finals at the All England Open, beating Kim Ga-eun of South Korea 21-17, 21-15. With the win, Tai earned a semi-final against China’s He Bingjiao, who beat Michelle Li of Canada 21-9, 21-9. Defending champion An Se-young defeated India’s P.V. Sindhu 21-19, 21-11. An on Wednesday cruised into the second round, unlike last year’s men’s winner, Li Shifeng, who suffered a shock defeat. South Korea’s An, the world No. 1, overcame Taiwan’s Hsu Wen-chi 21-17, 21-16 to set up the match against Sindhu. In other women’s singles matches, Taiwan’s Sung Shuo-yun lost 21-18, 24-22 against Carolina Marin of
EYEING TOP SPOT: A victory in today’s final against Storm Hunter and Katerina Siniakova would return 38-year-old Hsieh Su-wei to the world No. 1 ranking Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and Elise Mertens on Thursday secured a spot in the women’s doubles finals at the BNP Paribas Open after dispatching Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the US and Australia’s Ellen Perez 6-2, 7-6 (7/5) at Indian Wells. Hsieh and her Belgian partner Mertens, who won the Australian Open in late January, coasted through the first set after breaking their opponents’ serve twice, but found the going tougher in the second. Both pairs could only muster one break point over 12 games, neither of which were converted, leaving the set to be decided by a tiebreaker. Hsieh and Mertens took a 6-3 lead,
DOUBLES PAYBACK: Hsieh Su-wei and Elise Martens avenged their defeat in the quarters at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open against Demi Schuurs and Luisa Stefani Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei on Wednesday advanced to the semi-finals of the women’s doubles at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California. Hsieh and partner Elise Mertens of Belgium dispatched Demi Schuurs and Luisa Stefani 6-1, 6-4 to set up a clash against Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the US and Australia’s Ellen Perez for a spot in the final of the WTA 1000 tournament. Hsieh and Martens made a blistering start to their rematch after they lost to Schuurs and Stefani in the quarter-finals at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open last month, winning three games without reply at the start of the first set