Paris, France: Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama maintained his bid for Olympic glory with a three-under-par 68 in round two at Le Golf National, despite scarring his scorecard with a double-bogey six at the last.
The world number 12 topped the leaderboard after a blistering opening bogey-free 63 on Thursday. On day two, the two-time Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC) winner mixed his card with seven birdies, two bogeys and that final-hole double.
His two-day total of 11-under 131 placed him in a share of the lead with defending gold medallist Xander Schauffele of the United States and Great Britain’s Tommy Fleetwood.
Matsuyama led playing partner Fleetwood by one stroke heading down the last, but hit his third shot on the par-four into the water before holing a 12-foot putt to avoid a triple bogey.
“It was a sad ending, but I’m glad that today was only the second day,” said Matsuyama, winner of the 2021 Masters Tournament.
Schauffele remained in the hunt for a second successive Olympic gold as the 30-year-old continued to show his good form in a year which has already seen him win the PGA Championship and Open Championship.
“If you hit a bad shot it’s easier to accept it because you know you’re playing really good golf and you can make it up somewhere else,” said Schauffele.
Japan’s Keita Nakajima, the 2021 AAC winner, slipped one spot to tied-30th after posting a second successive 70.
He’s among the 60 golfers who will play all four rounds in a stroke play format at the venue that hosted the 2018 Ryder Cup.
Matsuyama and Nakajima are among 10 AAC alumni flying the flag for their countries in Paris.
Heading into Saturday’s third round, Chinese Taipei’s CT Pan, bronze medallist at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, is tied fifth on eight-under 134, followed by China’s Marty Dou Zecheng (tied 25th, 139); New Zealander Ryan Fox (tied 30th, 140); Australian Min Woo Lee (tied 35th, 141) and China’s Carl Yuan Yechun and Chinese Taipei’s Kevin Yu (tied 43rd, 142).
One shot further back in joint 46th is Malaysian Gavin Green with New Zealand’s Daniel Hillier in 59th spot on 148.
