Sep 22, 2017: Japan’s Tadahiro Takayama continued to take his place atop the leaderboard after signing for a solid five-under-par 66, extending his overnight lead to six shots at the halfway stage of the Asia-Pacific Diamond Cup on Friday. India’s Rahil Gangjee shot 4-under-par 67 and tied at T11.
Rahil shot an eagle in the 2nd hole with back to back birdies in 4th, 5th and 6th holes in the front nine with a bogey at 7th hole. He added another birdie at the 11th hole and a bogey in the 15th hole in the back nine to close his score with 4-under-par 67 to tie at T11.
Other two Indian golfers Chikkarangappa and Chawrasia tied at T31 with a total score of 2-under-par 140 at the end of second round.
Takayama, who started the round with a two-shot advantage following an opening 62, proved unstoppable when he fired five birdies against no drop shots to lead on 14-under-par 128 total at the Caledonian Golf Club.
“I tried to concentrate on every shot and every hole. The pin positions were hard today but I like the challenge out there.” – Tadahiro Takayama, 39
Thailand’s Poom Saksansin continued his fine form by matching the day’s efforts of Takayama to sit in second place alongside South African Jbe Kruger (68) and Shugo Imahira (67) of Japan at the ¥?150 million (approximately US$1.37 million) event.
Chinese Taipei’s Hung Chien-yao (67), Younghan Song (70) of Korea and Pavit Tangkamolprasert (71) of Thailand were amongst those bunched in fifth place on 136 at the event co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO).
A total of 63 players, including a local amateur, made the halfway cut set at even-par 142 at the Asia-Pacific Diamond Cup.
Did you know?
- Takayama’s six-shot advantage heading into the weekend rounds is the largest 36-hole lead on the Asian Tour so far this season.
- Takayama’s two-day total of 14-under-par 128 is also the lowest 36-hole score so far this season.
- Takayama is a five-time winner on the Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO). His fifth and last victory came at the 2011 Casio World Open in Japan.
- Takayama was a former baseball player in his high school.
- Takayama amassed a total of 15 birdies and dropped only one shot in 36 holes at the Asia-Pacific Diamond Cup. He needed only 28 putts in his second round of 66.
- Poom, along with his cherubic look, catapulted into the spotlight when he won his second Asian Tour title at the TAKE Solutions Masters in India last month.
- Poom injured his back last year and was advised by his doctor to lose weight in order to avoid getting injured again. He has lost about 10 kilograms since.
- Poom’s breakthrough came at the 2016 Indonesian Masters last October. He is also a one-time winner on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) in 2015.
- The 24-year-old Poom sits in 16th place on the current Asian Tour Order of Merit, thanks to one victory and one top-five result in Chinese Taipei.
- Kruger is a one-time winner on the Asian Tour but not since 2012. He sits in 28th on the current money list thanks to two top-10 results, including a tied-second place finish at the season-opener in Singapore, this season.
Asian Tour Release
