KASAMA, IBARAKI PREF. – Ryo Ishikawa faced an uphill battle to make the cut after opening with a 12-over 83 on Thursday at the Japan Golf Tour Championship, the second major of the year.
The third-worst score of the day left Ishikawa in a tie for 119th at a rain-soaked Shishido Hills Country Club. The top 60 players and ties advance to the weekend rounds.
Masanori Kobayashi, who defeated the 19-year-old Ishikawa in a playoff at the Totoumi Hamamatsu Open two weeks ago, and little-known Hirohito Koizumi shared the first-round lead after 69s.
Ishikawa’s worst round in Japan in his professional career featured an 8 on the par-4 14th hole and a triple bogey on the 17th. He also had six bogeys and managed only one birdie.
“It’s all my fault, not the course or the weather,” the 2009 JGTO money leader said. “I started missing the fairways on 14. I tried not to lose myself, but things never turned better. I’ll just try to improve my score as much as possible tomorrow and see if I can make the cut.”