In the second round of the Vantelin Tokai Classic men's golf tournament, Osamu Fukuzumi (福住 修) made a hole-in-one on the 13th and strung together 5 consecutive eagles and birdies from the 12th through the 16th to take the lead. He moved to the top at 8 under par overall, while Yuto Katsuragawa (桂川有人) remained in the lead as well.
Osamu Fukuzumi (福住 修), who began the day in 8th place, shot a 66 with 1 eagle, 5 birdies and 2 bogeys, including a hole-in-one on the par-3 13th, to surge into the lead at 8 under par overall. First-round leader Yuto Katsuragawa (桂川有人) shot a 69 with 2 birdies and remained tied for the lead.
On the 205-yard par-3 13th, Fukuzumi hit a controlled 5-iron. The ball landed 3 meters short of the pin and dropped into the cup. He delivered an outstanding performance, stringing together an eagle and birdies in 5 consecutive holes from the 12th through the 16th.
Despite being 167 centimeters tall and weighing 68 kilograms, he generates considerable driver distance. His average driving distance this season is 302.44 yards, ranking 8th. After making his tour debut last year, he earned tour status this season with a 61st-place finish on the money list, and continues to make adjustments for the closing stretch of the season.
The turning point came at last week's Fortinet Players Championship. After being told that he had been setting his stance too wide after mishits with his irons, he narrowed it and surged to 6th place. This is his first time reaching the final rounds as a leader, and the experience is expected to contribute to further growth in future tournaments.