Hirata grabs penultimate stage lead at Shigeo Nagashima Invitational Sega Sammy Cup

Kensei Hirata carded six birdies in his final eight holes en route to a superb seven-under-par 65 that earned him a two-shot lead after the third round of the Shigeo Nagashima Invitational Sega Sammy Cup in Hokkaido on Saturday.

Starting the day tied for second at 12-under, the 23-year-old Hirata suffered an early setback at The North Country Golf Club when he conceded a bogey on the par-three second hole.

Hirata made up for it with a birdie on the seventh before launching a birdie blitz starting from the 11th, with gains on all holes except the 14th and 17th.

This impressive run put him in the driver's seat for a potential third JGTO victory of his career, leading at 16-under overall, two shots ahead of Yusaku Hosono.

"The first half wasn't very good at the beginning, but as it progressed, I started to feel good and had some chances. However, I couldn't capitalise on them," said Hirata.

"One good shot on the seventh hole was significant for me. I just aimed to play under par without getting impatient.

"I was able to stay calm, which I think led to good play in the second half."
Hirata will be hoping to convert his penultimate stage lead into another success, as the last time he was in this position 12 months ago, he went on to win the Japan PGA Championship.

"I'll go out tomorrow with the same mindset, without overthinking it," said Hirata, who's also the winner of last year's Mizuno Open.

"The course is difficult and the wind can affect the scores, so I hope to play aggressively, just like the past three days."

Hosono, chasing his maiden JGTO win, capped off an eventful back nine which saw him enjoy an eagle-birdie finish to shoot 66, after having dropped a bogey on the 12th and a double bogey on the 14th.

Taiga Semikawa also flourished with a 65 to stay within striking distance at 13-under, while overnight leader Tomoharu Otsuki was a further shot back after managing only a 71 to tie for fourth with Taiki Yoshida (65).

Leading third round scores:
199: Kensei Hirata 66-68-65;
201: Yusaku Hosono 67-68-66;
202: Taiga Semikawa 68-69-65;
203: Taiki Yoshida 66-72-65, Tomoharu Otsuki 65-67-71;
204: Yusaku Miyazato 69-72-63, Satoshi Kodaira 66-71-67, Ryutaro Nagano 70-67-67, Yuwa Kosaihira 68-67-69, Lee Sang Hee (Kor) 68-66-70, Tomoyasu Sugiyama 65-70-69.