JGTO Abroad: Nakajima stages fightback in UAE

Keita Nakajima displayed resilience as he fought back with a fine six-under-par 66 to head into the halfway stage of the DP World Tour's Ras Al Khaimah Championship in the United Arab Emirates, in a tie for 36th place alongside countryman Masahiro Kawamura.

Nakajima, who's making his first start as a DP World Tour member, traded eight birdies against two bogeys on Friday to take his two-day tally at Al Hamra Golf Club to six-under 138.

Kawamura, a seasoned campaigner in the European circuit, matched Nakajima's effort with an improved 67 comprising six birdies and one bogey.

Rikuya Hoshino has failed to advance to the weekend for the second straight week after battling to a 76. His two-over total was five shots shy of the cut line, set at three-under.

Nakajima and Kawamura will have to double up their effort if they are to play themselves into contention on the final day, as the current leaders - Rasmus Hojgaard of Denmark and Spain's Manuel Elvira - are eight shots ahead of them. Hojgaard and Elvira both fired a 64 and 62 to move to 14-under, taking a one-shot lead over England's Callum Shinkwin and Denmark's Thorbjorn Olesen.

In California, United States, the notorious Torrey Pines South Course proved too hot to handle again for Taiga Semikawa as he signed for a disastrous seven-over-par 79 to slide down to tied-74th after the third round of the Farmers Insurance Open.

Ryo Hisatsune managed to shoot a 73, the best score among the trio of Japanese, while Hideki Matsuyama returned a 76. They both sit tied-47th on three-under 213, eight shots back of Germany's Stephan Jaeger.

Jaeger posted a 73, but it was good enough to cling to his overnight lead and take a one-shot cushion into the final round over Matthieu Pavon of France and Nicolai Hojgaard of Denmark.