Ishikawa takes aim at securing 19th JGTO title

Ryo Ishikawa bolstered his chances of securing his 19th JGTO title by taking a one-shot lead at the halfway point of the JAPAN PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP by Satosyokuhin.

Starting three shots off the pace overnight, the 32-year-old delivered a stunning eight-under-par 64 at Nishinasuno Country Club, featuring an eagle and six birdies, bringing his total to 14-under 130.

Ishikawa's bogey-free round edged him one shot ahead of first-round leader Kota Kaneko, who posted a 68.

ABEMA Tour player Suguru Shimoke surged up the leaderboard with a scorching 62, tying for third with Hiroki Tanaka (66) at 132. Tomoyasu Sugiyama (66), Yuki Kono (69), and Taiko Nishiyama (64) are just one shot further back.

This marks Ishikawa's first time leading since tying for the opening-round lead at the Japan PGA Championship last year. 

He has a strong opportunity to return to the winner's circle for the first time since his victory at the Mitsui Sumitomo Visa Taiheiyo Masters in November 2022.

Ishikawa has narrowly missed winning on several occasions since then, most recently two weeks ago when he lost to Hiroshi Iwata in a playoff at the BMW Japan Golf Tour Championship Mori Building Cup.

Following that, Ishikawa went to the U.S. Open but made an early exit after shooting eight-over over two days.

When asked if he has changed his approach, which led to his solid performance thus far in Tochigi, Ishikawa said: "I haven’t changed what I’m doing, but I learned a lot about my technique and course strategy from the U.S. Open.

"My golf hasn’t improved or declined since returning from the U.S. Open. Instead of just focusing on where to hit the ball immediately in front of me, it’s about trusting in what I’ve accumulated so far. It’s important to have objective skill assessments and statistics.

"Believing that I can hit within this range means I can handle any tough course. At the U.S. Open, I realised I needed to understand myself better, especially with the longer clubs aimed at the green."

Ishikawa hopes to utilise the longer clubs to his advantage over the weekend to aid in his title pursuit. 

"I’ve managed to make some adjustments with the longer clubs, and since there’s time before tomorrow’s start, I hope to use that positively and play in the best possible condition tomorrow," said Ishikawa.

Leading second round scores:

130: Ryo Ishikawa 66-64;

131: Kota Kaneko 63-68;

132: Hiroki Tanaka 66-66, Suguru Shimoke 70-62;

133: Tomoyasu Sugiyama 67-66, Yuki Kono 64-69, Taiko Nishiyama 69-64;

134: Kohei Kinoshita 65-69, Ryutaro Nagano 64-70, Tsubasa Ukita 66-68.