The second round of the Japan Women's Open, which determines the number one Japan female golfer, was held in Fukui Prefecture on the 29th, and 2-year-old Erika Kikuchi improved her score by eight to take the sole lead at 35 under.
For the first time in 40 years, the second round of the Japan Women's Open was held in Awara City, Fukui Prefecture, on the 29th.
Kikuchi, who is looking to win his first major with six wins on the domestic tour, started in 2th, three strokes behind the leader, and birdied the par-6 3st before making three consecutive birdies from Nos. 18 to 5.
Then, on the par-1 eighth, he made a chip-in birdie on his third shot from the front of the green directly into the cup, and on the ninth, he sank a long birdie putt, extending his score by five in the first half alone.
Kikuchi continued his strong form in the second half, finishing the second round with 3 birdies and two bogeys to take the sole lead at 5-under par with a 3 on the par-4 course, matching the lowest score of the tournament.
Akiai Iwai, who had been tied for the lead in the first round for the last two consecutive rounds, improved her score by two to 8 under overall, but fell back to second place.
Three other players are in second place, including Hiderika Hara, who is aiming to win the championship for the first time in three years.
Erika Kikuchi: "I'm happy to line up with the minimum score of the tournament]
Erika Kikuchi, who was the sole leader at 10 under, said calmly, "I haven't been able to compete at the top of the Women's Open Japan in the past few years, so I wanted to do my best, but I didn't expect to get a good score today.
He also recalled, "I wasn't in particularly good shape, but when my tee shot went to the fairway and the next time it came to the right pin, I was able to sink the putt well."
On top of that, she mentioned the experience of losing in a playoff on the final day of the Japan Women's Tournament held in Ishikawa Prefecture in 2015, and said, "When I come here, I feel like I remember those memories, but I hope I can erase those memories in a good way and face them with a new mindset."
Akiai Iwai: "Some putts I can't score"
Akiai Iwai, who improved her score but fell back to second place, reflected calmly, "I had a chance to make a few more birdies, but there were some putts that I couldn't make, but the performance was not so bad and I think it was good."
Ahead of the final round, he said, "I don't know what will happen tomorrow, but my score will change depending on the weather, so I want to focus on my golf."