High temperatures matched some sizzling hot golf on day three of the Shinhan Donghae Open today, when Kensei Hirata from Japan carded the best round of the week to join his compatriot and overnight leader Kosuke Suzuki in a share of the third-round lead.
After two grey and rainy days, the sun came out at Ocean Course at Club72 in Incheon and it was Hirata who shone the most, firing a 10-under-par 62 – which as preferred lies were in play meant it was not a course record.
He and Suzuki, who started the day with a three-shot cushion and shot a 69, top the leaderboard on 16-under – in what is the 40th edition of the tournament.
Chanmin Jung, the powerfully built strong man of Korean golf, is one shot back in outright third following a fine 63.
Australian Travis Smyth (65), Korean Minkyu Kim (66) – this year’s Kolon Korea Open champion – plus Japan’s Mikumu Horikawa (66) and Tomoyo Ikemura (67) are in a tie for fourth, an additional stroke behind.
Hirata is arguably the man to beat tomorrow having won the Fujisankei Classic last weekend on the Japan Golf Tour – his second win there this year after success in the Shigeo Nagashima Invitational Sega Sammy Cup in July.
This week’s event, one of Korea’s biggest and most important, is tri-sanctioned by the Asian, Japan and Korean Tours, meaning victory for him would see him go back-to-back on his home circuit while also earn cards for the other two tours.
He is highest ranked player in the field this week from the Japan Tour Money list in fourth place.
The 23-year-old, a four-time winner in Japan, said: “I started off really well and so wanted to see how far I could go. I was just trying to take it easy, and not put pressure on myself and I think that helped me play well until the end.
“I know tomorrow will be hard as it is always difficult to play well after making such a good score. Very unlikely I will play as well but my approach will be the same: I’ll focus on each shot and do my best.”
Hirata, who was bogey-free, sensationally birdied the first five holes, and made birdie on seven to help make the turn in six-under-par 30. Back-to-back birdies on 13 and 14 and the last two holes saw him set the mark in the clubhouse.
Suzuki, chasing his maiden win in the pro game, did well to match him after a bogey on 16, where he escaped a poor lie in a greenside bunker, was dealt with by a birdie on the penultimate hole, where he chipped in.
Jung, the winner of the GS Caltex Maekyung Open here in Korea on the Asian Tour last year, is one of the biggest hitters on the Korean PGA which along with his muscular build has earned him the nickname “The Korean Hulk”.
That raw power was on display today, as he made an eagle, nine birdies and two bogeys
“Putting has been an issue for me,” said the Korean, “and that’s put pressure on the rest of my game. But since last week it has improved, and I am a lot more confident with my putts.
“Both tee shots and putts were good today. The putting went really well and then that eagle on 13 really fired me up.”
He was paired with Thailand’s Rattanon Wannasrichan today, who he said has become a good friend on tour.
“We are close friends. We got close after playing together several times on the Asian Tour. I tried to learn Thai, but it’s really hard.”
Smyth is enjoying one of his best seasons, including tying for fourth in last week’s Mandiri Indonesia Open.
He is highest ranked player here on the Asian Tour Order of Merit, sitting in 11th place,
“I was all over the shop for the first two rounds, and all of last week, but I feel like I got lucky a bit, there is a bit of room on this golf course,” said the Australian.
“Went to the range, worked on something yesterday, kind of clicked, so I hit it much better today. I gave myself so many looks and the putter got hot. It was a pretty easy, cruisy, seven under.
“I feel like I am understanding my game ok. I just don’t feel like I am playing good enough to win, which is a little frustrating. I have played pretty consistent for quite a while now. Although it is nice to be up there contending all the time it does get a little frustrating when you are not contending to win and recording top-10s and that sort of thing. There is a little bit of fire in my stomach at the moment. I want to take my game to the next level and try and win events and I feel like I am close.”
He won the Yeangder TPC in Chinese-Taipei in 2022 and is bidding to win for the second time on the Asian Tour.
Scores after round 3 of the Shinhan Donghae Open, being played at Ocean Course at Club72 – a par-72, 7,204-yard course (am – denotes amateur):
200 – Kensei Hirata (JPN) 71-67-62, Kosuke Suzuki (JPN) 67-64-69.
202 – Chanmin Jung (KOR) 68-71-63.
203 – Travis Smyth (AUS) 68-70-65, Mikumu Horikawa (JPN) 72-65-66, Minkyu Kim (KOR) 67-70-66, Tomoyo Ikemura (JPN) 65-71-67.
205 – Sangpil Yoon (KOR) 70-67-68, Yujiro Ohori (JPN) 69-68-68, Brad Kennedy (AUS) 69-65-71.
206 – Takahiro Hataji (JPN) 70-69-67, Taiga Nagano (JPN) 70-68-68, Riki Kawamoto (JPN) 68-70-68, Daijiro Izumida (JPN) 72-65-69, Tomoharu Otsuki (JPN) 69-68-69, Taiki Yoshida (JPN) 68-68-70, Junghwan Lee (KOR) 72-69-65, Jaewoong Eom (KOR) 65-70-71, Galam Jeon (KOR) 69-65-72.
207 – Dongmin Lee (KOR) 72-67-68, Sungho Yun (KOR) 72-67-68, Ian Snyman (RSA) 70-68-69, Seonghyeon Jeon (KOR) 69-69-69, Suteepat Prateeptienchai (THA) 69-71-67, Chonlatit Chuenboonngam (THA) 72-68-67, Younghan Song (KOR) 68-69-70, Kyongjun Moon (KOR) 68-73-66, Shaun Norris (RSA) 68-69-70, Miguel Tabuena (PHI) 68-68-71.
208 – Lee Chieh-po (TPE) 70-68-70, Yusaku Hosono (JPN) 72-66-70, Sihwan Kim (USA) 72-67-69, Hanmil Jung (KOR) 67-71-70, Yubin Jang (KOR) 71-67-70, Seungtaek Lee (KOR) 71-69-68, Kazuki Higa (JPN) 70-70-68, Hanbyeol Kim (KOR) 69-68-71, Kyungnam Kang (KOR) 67-69-72, Naoyuki Kataoka (JPN) 68-67-73.
209 – Yusaku Miyazato (JPN) 71-68-70, Rattanon Wannasrichan (THA) 66-73-70, Taeho Kim (KOR) 71-68-70, Seunghyuk Kim (KOR) 70-67-72, Gyumin Lee (KOR) 68-73-68, Shintaro Kobayashi (JPN) 73-68-68.
210 – Takashi Ogiso (JPN) 71-68-71, Taehoon Ok (KOR) 70-68-72, Sanghee Lee (KOR) 74-65-71, Yosuke Tsukada (JPN) 68-71-71, Shunya Takeyasu (JPN) 73-67-70, Poom Saksansin (THA) 72-68-70, Sarit Suwannarut (THA) 72-69-69, Ryo Ishikawa (JPN) 68-69-73, Gunn Charoenkul (THA) 70-71-69, Koshiro Maeda (JPN) 71-70-69, Yosuke Asaji (JPN) 71-70-69.
211 – Dongmin Kim (KOR) 70-68-73, Yongjun Bae (KOR) 68-70-73, Jinho Choi (KOR) 71-68-72, Chang Wei-lun (TPE) 70-69-72, Richard T. Lee (CAN) 69-71-71, Seungbin Choi (KOR) 69-71-71.
212 – Wooyoung Cho (KOR) 71-67-74, Todd Baek (USA) 71-66-75.
213 – Jaekyeong Lee (KOR) 71-68-74, Junggon Hwang (KOR) 70-70-73, Nitithorn Thippong (THA) 70-71-72.
214 – Bio Kim (KOR) 70-70-74.
