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| In the second round of the 2021 ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP, Hideki Matsuyama carded a 2-under 68 to get to 8-under for the tournament, good enough for a one-stroke lead over the field heading into the weekend.(Photo from Yahoo Sports) |
[Asia News = Reporter Reakkana] INZAI: Local favorite Hideki Matsuyama swept to the front of the field at the Zozo Championship on Friday, carding a 2-under 68 for a one-stroke lead after two rounds, Kyodo Sports reported.
The Masters champion sat at 8-under for the joint PGA and Japan Golf Tour tournament after carding three birdies and a bogey on a cold and rainy second day at Narashino Country Club in Chiba Prefecture near Tokyo. American Cameron Tringale fired the equal-best round of the day, a 4-under 66, to move up four places into outright second at 7-under, while the overnight leader, Japan's Hiroshi Iwata, shot 3-over 73 to fall back into a tie for seventh at 4-under. Starting his round on No. 10, the 29-year-old Matsuyama birdied the 13th hole, three-putted the par-4 17th for a bogey before bouncing back on the par-5 18th, reaching the green in two and birdying.
"Getting to the greens in two was big," said Matsuyama, who picked up another stroke on No. 3.
After losing a bronze-medal playoff at the Tokyo Games this summer, the Ehime Prefecture native is aiming to win his seventh PGA Tour title on home soil. "I think I'm in a good position now, so I want to keep going without making any big changes," he said.
