Rintaro Nakano of Japan eagled the par-5 13th hole for the second straight day and closed with a birdie for a 6-under 66, moving into a three-way tie for the lead at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship. The Japanese standout shares the halfway mark at 11-under 133 with 17-year-old Khanh Hung Le of Vietnam (67) and Australia’s Harry Takis (66) at Emirates Golf Club.
The stakes couldn’t be higher this weekend on the Majlis course – the winner earns coveted invitations to both the Masters and The Open Championship next year.
Le, who’s committed to play college golf at Illinois, is trying to make history as the first Vietnamese winner since Augusta National and the R&A launched this championship in 2010. That’s no small feat in a tournament with such a rich tradition.
Nakano hopes to join an elite group of Japanese champions that includes Hideki Matsuyama (two-time winner), Takumi Kanaya and Keita Nakajima – all former world No. 1 amateurs. Japan’s track record in this event is remarkable, producing some of the most successful players in the championship’s history.
Takis adds another chapter to the impressive San Diego State golf story. The Mountain West Conference freshman of the year continues the Aztecs’ recent surge in amateur golf. His college program has produced major champion Xander Schauffele and PGA Tour winner J.J. Spaun, while Justin Hastings captured the Latin American Amateur last year during his final season at SDSU.
The cut fell at 6-over 150, with 60 players and ties advancing to the weekend. Geoffrey Lablak made history as the first player from Lebanon to make the cut in the Asia-Pacific Amateur, sitting tied for 23rd after rounds of 73-71. The host nation is well-represented with three UAE players making the weekend, led by Ahman Skaik in a tie for 10th.
