Taisei Nagasaki, a 16-year-old making his debut at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, opened up a five-stroke lead after the third round on Saturday at Emirates Golf Club’s Majlis Course.
Nagasaki began the day one back of a three-way share of the lead but quickly claimed the lead with birdies on four of his first seven holes. After a bogey setback at the par-4 12th, he tacked on four more birdies coming in to card a seven-under 65 and reach 17 under for the Championship. His 54-hole total soars past the previous record of 14 under.
“The good thing today was that I was able to get four birdies in the front nine; in the back nine, I didn’t play well at No. 12, but got one back at the next par 5, which also led to three consecutive birdies so that was good,” said Nagasaki, who turned 16 earlier this month. “I was thinking that I need to be in a good position today to play well tomorrow and win, so I’m happy with my score today.”
Nagasaki earned co-medalist honors at the Toyota Junior World Cup in June and finished runner-up a week later at the Japan Amateur Championship. He is a student of Tommy Nakajima’s Academy in Japan and Nagasaki noted that the two of them made a promise to ‘go to the Masters together.’ Nakajima won 48 times on the Japan Golf Tour and finished top 10 in all four majors during his career.
Prior to this year’s Championship, Nagasaki made it clear the accomplishments of his countrymen at past Asia-Pacific Amateurs were an inspiration going into the week.
“Keita Nakajima won in Dubai [in 2021], so I want to follow in his footsteps,” said Nagasaki, who also referenced the Asia-Pacific Amateur as the event he most wanted to participate in after joining the Japan National Team. “I will do my best to show my full potential and aim to win while having fun.”
Nagasaki will be seeking to become the fourth Japanese champion of the Asia-Pacific Amateur and join the likes of Hideki Matsuyama (2010, 2011), Takumi Kanaya (2018) and Keita Nakajima (2021). He’ll be challenged on Sunday by Japan’s Rintaro Nakano (12 under), Thailand’s Fifa Laopakdee (11 under) and three players at 10 under: Australians Billy Dowling and Harry Takis and Vietnam’s Khanh Hung Le. Nakano finished third last year in Japan, two strokes back of champion Wenyi Ding.
Kanichiro Katano (T-8) of Japan carded the eighth hole-in-one in the history of the Asia-Pacific Amateur, and the first of his life, at the par-3 11th hole. The hole played 154 yards in the third round.
Sunday’s final round tee times will run from 9-11:01 a.m. local time.
