Young gun Kaneko sets early pace

Kota Kaneko fired a superb nine-under-par 63 to seize the early lead in the JAPAN PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP by Satosyokuhin on Thursday.

The 21-year-old Kaneko, aiming for his first JGTO victory, carded an eagle and seven birdies in an impressive round, finishing one shot ahead of Yuki Kono and Ryutaro Nagano at Nishinasuno Country Club in Tochigi.

Kaneko credited his exceptional performance to precise iron play, having missed only one green in regulation.

"Today, I hit 17 greens in regulation, created plenty of birdie opportunities, and capitalised on them. I think that led to a good score," said Kaneko, who achieved a commendable tied third finish at the Japan Open last year.

"The only tough spots were on holes 14 and 15, where I made crucial par saves from about two meters. I handled those situations well.

"After missing the cut last year, my goal was to start strong and make the cut this time."

Following this impressive start, Kaneko is setting the bar higher, aspiring to follow in the footsteps of Takashi Ogisoand secure his first JGTO win.

Ogiso recently broke through with a victory at the Hana Bank Invitational last week.

"Ogiso-san is a senior I’m very close with, so I was really happy for him," said Kaneko, who finished tied for 40th last week.

Interestingly, this isn't Kaneko's first time leading a tournament.

In 2022, he unexpectedly shared the first-round lead at The Crowns but eventually settled for a tied 20th finish in that event.

Kaneko remains grounded despite his sizzling start.

"We still have three days left, so I hope I can maintain the same level of play," vowed Kaneko.

Kono also shone brightly on the opening day, posting a bogey-free 64 with eight birdies in his first JGTO start of the season.

"It was a day where my putts were dropping, and my shots were consistently good," said Kono.

"I sank one from about 10 meters and made some challenging par putts.

"I'll focus on each shot, maintaining my composure. By building up my game shot by shot, I believe I can perform well again tomorrow. I'll give it my best."

Kono, a 17th-year professional, competes on the ABEMA Tour, where he has won three times and topped the money list in 2012.

He was a regular on the main circuit between 2012 and 2015.

Nagano, also 36, will be eager to build his strong start in his quest for a breakthrough JGTO victory after an impressive round with an eagle and six birdies.

Nagano has six runner-up finishes to his name, the most recent being at Sansan KBC Augusta last year.

This year, Nagano has struggled to impress, missing the cut in five out of seven starts.=

"There have been many tough times, but in the past month or so, I've regained my form, so I'm able to approach golf calmly," he said.

"It's all about my mental state. I haven't made any changes to my training or routine."

Leading first round scores:

63: Kota Kaneko;

64: Yuki Kono, Ryutaro Nagano;

65: Kohei Kinoshita, Toshinori Muto;

66: Hiroki Tanaka, Ryo Noro, Juvic Pagunsan (Phi), Tsubasa Ukita, Hirotaka Ashizawa, Ryuko Tokimatsu, Ryo Ishikawa