Nakano dazzles with 61 to set early pace at Token Homemate Cup

Amateur star Rintaro Nakano fired a blistering 10-under-par 61 to match the course record at the Token Tado Country Club Nagoya, seizing the lead in the season-opening Token Homemate Cup in Mie Prefecture on Thursday.

Making only his ninth JGTO appearance and debut in the tournament, the 20-year-old showed he is no pushover against his more illustrious professional competitors, finishing three shots ahead of Koshiro Maeda.

Four players – Terumichi Kakazu, Yuto Katsuragawa, Tomoyasu Sugiyama, and Kenya Nakayama – were tied for third, each posting impressive 65s.

Nakano, starting on the back nine, came alive when he eagled par-four 14th, followed by two additional birdies on holes 15 and 17, bringing him to four-under at the turn.

Yet, Nakano's brilliance didn't peak there. He went on to secure an impressive six additional birdies, including on his final five holes, placing himself firmly in contention for his first professional triumph.

"That eagle was the turning point. Until then, I had been playing good golf but struggled with making putts," said Nakano, the reigning Japan Amateur champion.

"(The eagle putt) I never thought it would go in."

Nakano has also expressed his delight at matching the course record, especially now sharing the honour with his close friend Yusaku Hosono, who achieved the feat during the second round of last year's edition.

Interestingly, Nakano revealed that just a couple of days ago, he asked Hosono about achieving such brilliance, little did he know he would soon match it himself.

"I'm quite close with Yusaku Yoshino, and I asked him a day or two ago how he managed to get to 10-under. He teased me, saying something like, 'You'll probably accomplish that too,' but honestly, I didn't think I would," said Nakano.

Nakano's most notable achievement on the JGTO was tying for 15th place at the Fujisankei Classic last year.

Despite having the opportunity to aim high, Nakano remains grounded, keeping his feet firmly planted.

"It's tough, with so many players trailing close behind me. So, I always tell myself to focus on my own golf. If I start thinking about rankings, I'll probably lose my momentum quickly. There's definitely pressure, but I'll strive to concentrate on one shot at a time," said Nakano.

Australian veteran Brendan Jones made a solid start in his quest to reclaim the title he last won in 2019, aiming for his third victory in the tournament.

Jones was among seven players tied at five-under after posting rounds of 66, positioning himself as the top international finisher on the leaderboard.

"It's a good start to the tournament. I didn't make a mistake today," said the 15-time JGTO winner after his bogey-free round containing five birdies.

"I played quite nicely, I did miss as there were a few poor shots, but I got away with them. Being able, you know, with the preferred lies are helping, but as I said, solid start on a golf course I've had quite a bit of success."

At 49, Jones was particularly pleased, knowing that he could still give his younger rivals a run for their money.

"I'm getting old, so I'm winding down. So the kids these days are good, but look, I can still, on my day, play all right. Age is really catching up with all of us, and I'm no different than anyone else."

Leading first round scores:

61: Rintaro Nakano (am);

64: Koshiro Maeda;

65: Terumiuchi Kakazu, Yuto Katsuragawa, Tomoyasu Sugiyama, Kenya Nakayama;

66: Taisei Sato, Tatsunori Shogenji, Takahiro Hataji, Aguri Iwasai, Motoki Tanaka, Brendan Jones (Aus), Yujiro Ohori.