Hai Phong, Vietnam: Inspired by his sister’s daring deeds, Masayuki Yamashita propelled Japan into pole position at the half-way stage of the 30th edition of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Team Championship.

Yamashita, whose elder sibling, Miyu, is a star on the Japan LPGA Tour, fired six birdies en route to a five-under-par 67 in the second round of the 2024 Nomura Cup at Vinpearl Hai Phong.

As well as lifting him into a share of first place in the individual standings alongside Vietnam’s Nguyen Anh Minh, 21-year-old Yamashita’s effort helped Japan to the top of the leaderboard in the team standings.

In the event in which the two best daily scores in each three-man team are counted, Takumi Kobayashi contributed a bogey-free 68 to give Japan a formidable second-day team total of 135. Taishi Moto, the third member of the Japan team, signed for a 70 but his score was not needed.

Heading into Thursday’s penultimate round, Japan, bidding for an 11th Nomura Cup title overall and a second in succession having triumphed in 2022, holds a two-stroke lead from New Zealand and hosts Vietnam.

There is then a seven-stroke gap back to Korea and Australia on one-under 287. They are followed in the 19-nation event by Hong Kong China (289), China (290), India (291), Thailand (292), Chinese Taipei and Malaysia (294), United Arab Emirates and Singapore (297), Philippines (302), Pakistan (314), Saudi Arabia (326), Myanmar (327), Mongolia (349) and Guam (350).

In the individual standings, Yamashita and Anh Minh are locked together at six-under 138, two shots ahead of New Zealand duo of Robby Turnbull and Joshua Bai and Australian Declan O’Donovan.

Only six other players in the 57-strong field are under par - Japan’s Kobayashi and Malaysian Anson Yeo (both 141), Japan’s Moto and Thai Teerawut Boonseeor, the reigning Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation Junior Boys’ champion, (both 142) and Hong Kong China’s Wang Ngai Shen and Indian Kartik Singh (both 143).

For his part, Yamashita is aiming to emulate the success of his 23-year-old sister who has won no fewer than 12 times on the Japan LPGA Tour since turning professional in 2020. This year she tied for second in the LPGA Championship, one of the Majors in the women’s game, and narrowly missed out on a medal at the Paris Olympics, finishing in a tie for fourth place.

“I’m inspired by what Miyu has achieved and am learning from her. She gives me good motivation and I don't want to be in her shade in my career. I want to beat what she's done when I turn professional next year,” said Yamashita, who believes the Japan team are well placed to retain the Nomura Cup over the next two days.

“All of us are playing well and scored under par today. We're pretty confident we can go on and win the trophy,” added Yamashita, after an accomplished performance in blustery conditions.

Teeing-off from the 10th in the first flight of the day at 8 am, Yamashita made birdies at 11 and 14 to turn in two-under 34. He added four further birdies in the first seven holes on the front nine before dropping a stroke at the par-three eighth, the only blemish on his scorecard.

Meanwhile, Anh Minh continued to lead from the front as Vietnam seeks its first Nomura Cup title in what is the country’s first appearance in the longest-running event in the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation’s portfolio.

The highest-rated player in the field at 84th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, Anh Minh, who also teed-off from the 10th, raced out of the blocks with four birdies in his first nine holes. He added another at the fifth – his 14th of the day – en route to a fabulous bogey-free 67.

“It’s very rare to have a bogey-free round so I can’t complain. The Vietnam team had a good day today and we’re excited about what can happen in the next two days,” said Anh Minh.

While Yamashita and Anh Minh flourished, China’s Gu Lianliang, the joint overnight leader after an opening bogey-free 69, struggled.

Playing alongside Yamashita, 15-year-old Gu was five-over through his first five holes. To his credit, he steadied the ship by playing the remaining 13 holes in two-under. On even-par 144, he is still very much in contention.

For the second day in succession, O’Donovan got to five-under before falling back. Having covered the first 12 holes without making a bogey, he dropped shots at four of the closing six holes, signing for a one-under 71. His frustration was evident as he hurled his ball into thick foliage after finishing a round that promised so much with a bogey.

Team Scores

278 – Japan 143-135
280 – New Zealand 143-137; Vietnam 143-137
287 – Korea 147-140; Australia 144-143
289 – Hong Kong China 144-145
290 – China 142-148
291 – India 145-146
292 – Thailand 147-145
294 – Malaysia 149-145; Chinese Taipei 144-150
297 – Singapore 149-148; United Arab Emirates 148-149
302 – Philippines 152-150
314 – Pakistan 158-156
326 – Saudi Arabia 166-160
327 – Myanmar 167-160
349 – Mongolia 172-177
350 – Guam 173-177

Leading Individual Scores

138 – Masayuki Yamashita (Japan) 71-67; Nguyen Anh Minh (Vietnam) 71-67
140 – Robby Turnbull (New Zealand) 73-67; Joshua Bai (New Zealand) 70-70; Declan O’Donovan (Australia) 69-71
141 – Takumi Kobayashi (Japan) 73-68; Anson Yeo (Malaysia) 71-70
142 – Taishi Moto (Japan) 72-70; Teerawut Boonseeor (Thailand) 70-72
143 – Wang Ngai Shen (Hong Kong China) 72-71; Kartik Singh (India) 71-72
144 – Le Khanh Hung (Vietnam) 74-70; Gu Liangliang (China) 69-75
145 – Park Jung-hung (Korea) 76-69; An Seong-hyeon (Korea) 74-71