Updated at 9:23 p.m., Saturday, February 10, 2007
Japan pros lead in 2nd round of Pearl Open
Advertiser Staff
Japan pros Hirotaro Naito and Takashi Oguro surged into the lead halfway through today's second round of the Hawaii Pearl Open at Pearl Country Club.Naito, 24, shot the low round in the morning wave, a 5-under-par 67, to move to 8-under 136 for the tournament. Oguro, 23, joined him with after shooting 71. Oguro trailed leader Junpei Takayama by one after a first-round
65.
Honoka'a senior Sean Maekawa fired a 68 and shares third with Japan pro Hiroyuki Naito at 138. Maekawa was runner-up at last year's state high school championship and low amateur at the Hawai'i State Open.
After the morning wave, 14 of the top 17 were Japanese pros, with Maekawa, 2006 U.S. Public Links champion Casey Watabu (70-140), from Kaua'i, and Mainland pro Joseph Summerhays (69-141) the exceptions.
Tadd Fujikawa, who opened with a 69, was 1-over for the day when he made the turn, and 2-under for the tournament. The 16-year-old Moanalua sophomore tied for 20th at this tournament last year, and at the Sony Open in Hawai'i last month.
The field of 189 men and three women will be cut to the low 80 and ties for tomorrow's final round, with the top 15 amateurs guaranteed to advance.
The first group tees off at 7:20 a.m. tomorrow, with the final group going out at approximately 9:30 a.m.
