Groom-to-be Ikemura grabs provisional one-shot lead at Token Homemate Cup

Soon-to-wed Tomoyo Ikemura birdied five of his opening seven holes to seize a one-shot lead with nine holes remaining in the third round of the Token Homemate Cup on Saturday.

The 28-year-old, vying for his third JGTO victory, was five-under for the round and 15-under for the tournament, which serves as the season-opener for the 2024 JGTO season.

Terumichi Kakazu and Taisei Sato, two of the three co-leaders at the 36-hole mark, both provisionally tied for second at 14-under following a modest start to the penultimate round.

Kakazu mixed three birdies with a bogey, while Sato kept bogeys at bay and notched two birdies. They also had nine holes remaining.

Amateur star Rintaro Nakano, who equalled Token Tado Country Club Nagoya's course record with a blistering 61 on Thursday, remained firmly in contention to become the eighth amateur winner in JGTO history.

After carding a 69 to join Kakazu and Sato at the summit, Nakano made his only gain on the eighth hole, tying for fourth with Takumi Kanaya and Taisei Shimizu (three-under) at 13-under overall.

Nakano, the reigning Japanese Amateur champion, has 27 holes left on Sunday to pull off the sensational feat.

The rain-plagued Token Homemate Cup completed its second round on Saturday but couldn't get through the third, as play was halted due to darkness at 6:07 p.m. local time.

Play is scheduled to resume at 7:10 a.m on Sunday morning, with the final round expected to commence not before 8:00 a.m.

All attention will be focused on Ikemura, who is highly motivated to win the tournament as a victory will be a perfect gift ahead of his planned marriage registration on May 26.

"I'm thinking of registering (for our marriage) on our anniversary, which is on May 26th. That's the day we started dating. I proposed on March 21st—her birthday," said Ikemura.

"People had been asking me when I was going to get married, so now that uncertainty is gone. Everyone congratulated me joyfully, so I'm eager to win quickly.

Ikemura believes his chances of victory hinge entirely on his ability to maintain focus and composure throughout another marathon day.

"I'm exhausted. Played 26 holes today. I've previously tackled 36 holes in a tournament, during my time in the Japan Pro,” he said.

"My shots and putts have improved quite a bit, so I'm not too worried. If I can play calmly, I think I can finish in a good position. There's still one-and-a-half rounds left. It's the third round, even though it's Sunday. So, I'll take it easy without putting too much pressure on myself."

Ends.