Tetsuji Hiratsuka eagled twice in a blistering round of 63 to take a three-stroke advantage over Toshimitsu Izawa after the third-round of the season-ending Nippon Series JT Cup on Saturday.
Hiratsuka, winless on the Japan golf tour, had three birdies on the front nine and eagled the 541-yard, par-5, 6th hole on a breathtaking 45-foot putt before making the turn at 30 at the Tokyo Yomiuri Golf Club.
He had another birdie on his inward journey and eagled the par-4 16th with his only blotch of the scorecard coming when he bogeyed the par-4 12th hole and completed the round for a total of 13-under 197.
Advantage S. Korea
CHEJU, South Korea (Kyodo) Kasumi Fujii beat U.S. LPGA regular Pak Se Ri 3 and 1 but South Korea took a 16-8 advantage over Japan on the opening day of the Pinx Cup women's golf tournament between professional players of the two countries.
South Korea won seven of the day's 12 single-stroke matches, including Grace Park's 2 and 1 triumph over newly crowned JLPGA money queen Yuri Fudo, contested in a matchplay format at the par-72 Pinx Golf Club on Cheju Island with three losses and two ties.