Sep 20, 2018: In-form players Gaganjeet Bhullar of India, Justin Harding of South Africa and Scott Vincent of Zimbabwe were among nine players bunched in sixth place on matching 67s.
Bhullar shot four-under-par 67 to join the club at T6. Other Indian Rahil Gangjee is trailing Bhullar by one shot at three-under-par 68 and lying at T15.
Danthai Boonma took advantage of a hot start as he fired an opening six-under-par 65 to trail the leader Daijiro Izumida by two shots at the Asia-Pacific Diamond Cup on Thursday.
The bubbly Thai started with four straight birdies before adding five more birdies against three bogeys to stay hot on the heels of home talent Izumida who produced a superb 63 at the Musashi Country Club.
Danthai, a winner on the Asian Tour, shared second place alongside Yuki Inamori and Hiroshi Iwata while Thai veteran Prayad Marksaeng was a further shot back in fifth place at the JP¥150 million (approximately US$1.35 million) event sanctioned by the Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour Organization (JGTO).
The story of the day belonged to the 25-year-old Izumida, who continued his momentum following his career’s first victory on the JGTO last month. He superbly turned in 30 on the front nine and returned three birdies against one bogey to set the pace.
Danthai was on track to challenge Izumida’s morning target but the Thai struggled to maintain his charge after his tee shots on holes 14, 18 and four landed in the thick rough which resulted in bogeys.
Prayad, a 10-time Asian Tour champion and multiple winner in Japan, traded six birdies against one bogey to give himself a chance of winning the tournament for the second time since 2008.
Asian Tour Release
