Leading Duo Race Out of the Blocks in Dubai

Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Two of the world’s leading men’s amateur golfers, Keita Nakajima and Lin Yuxin, lived up to all expectations in Wednesday’s opening round of the 12th Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC) at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club.

Nakajima, the world number one amateur from Japan, and Lin, the two-time AAC champion from China, sit with a share of the lead among a group of seven players tied at four-under-par 67.

Teeing off together at 09:05 local time, Lin and Nakajima could not have had more different starts to their rounds. Lin opened with a bogey, while Nakajima started with a birdie then made a double-bogey on the very next hole when his tee shot went out of bounds by inches.

Undeterred by the setback, the Japanese star fought back with six birdies in the next 11 holes to claim sole possession of the lead at one stage, before a bogey on the 16th pegged him back.

The bogey on the first was Lin’s only error. He made four birdies before the turn and added another on the 17th hole.

Joining Lin and Nakajima at the top of the leaderboard is Hong Kong’s Alexander Yang, who notched up two eagles, two bogeys and finished with two closing birdies.

New Zealand’s Jimmy Zheng, Koreans Cho Woo-young and Sam Choi, the world number 14, and Lukas Michel, the 2019 US Mid-Amateur champion from Australia, round out the group of seven tied for first after the opening round.

Australian Hayden Hopewell, Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho, China’s Aaron Du and Chinese Taipei’s Chen Chi-chun finished equal eighth at three-under-par as 33 players broke par on a windy day.

Lin, winner of the AAC in 2017 and 2019, said: “I played pretty solid today. It was not the best start, but I stayed pretty patient out there and hit some good shots on the front nine.

“I am just trying to stick to the gameplan and stay patient out there. Everyone is going to make mistakes, so just stay calm and ready for the next shot and really just give my everything on every shot.”

Nakajima, who is the same age as Lin (21), made a good start to his campaign as he bids to become the third Japanese player to win the AAC title after Hideki Matsuyama (2010 and 2011) and Takumi Kanaya (2018).

“I was very happy with the way I managed the golf course today. That’s something I want to keep on doing. The putting was also good. I made some good ones and then I missed a few short ones,” said Nakajima.

“I really enjoyed playing with Yuxin. He made some good birdies on the front nine and I also followed him. I did not pay attention to his scores but if I am tied with the defending champion, it’s always a good thing. There’s a lot of golf to be played so we will see.”

UAE’s Ahmad Skaik, the top-ranked player in the country, had the honour of hitting the inaugural tee shot of the championship. He finished with a creditable two-under-par 69, made more impressive by his efforts to manage a neck injury.

A bogey on the tough closing hole, where he found water with his tee shot, left a sour aftertaste, as a three-under-par round would have been the best ever by a UAE player in the history of the championship (Ahmed Al Musharrekh, 2011, second round).

“It’s a shame I finished with a bogey but I felt in control of my game throughout,” said Skaik. “I have been practicing with my injury. Lots of painkillers and massages. The last six months have been terrible with injuries. It started with a wrist injury followed by left knee and now the neck.”