Go misses Top 10 finish in Abema Tour; Delos Santos falters in JGT

MANILA, Philippines – Lloyd Go narrowly missed out on a Top 10 finish in the Abema Tour’s Elite Grips Challenge despite a final-hole birdie as he salvaged a two-under 70, leaving him in a share of 11th place even as Daichi Sakuda secured the title via a playoff in Hyogo, Japan on Friday.

Go started strong with an impressive opening round of 67 that placed him in early contention, but a scrambling 72 in the second round pushed him back. Despite several missed birdie opportunities early in the final round, Go converted on the eighth and 14th holes before conceding a stroke on the par-3 15th.

He closed with a birdie on the 18th, posting a pair of 35s for a 54-hole total of 209, finishing tied for 11th with Ryuji Nozawa and Yika Kitagawa.

Meanwhile, Sakuda stumbled to a 73 in the final round, allowing Hokuto Yamazaki, who shot a 71, to force a sudden-death playoff at 205. However, Sakuda steadied himself, parring the first playoff hole to clinch the victory and secure a breakthrough win.

In Aichi, Justin delos Santos struggled to maintain his momentum after an opening-round 66 at the Vantelin Tokai Classic. A one-over 72 dropped him from joint third to a share of 24th place at Miyoshi Country Club’s West Course.

Errant drives hounded delos Santos, as he missed five fairways on the front nine and six on the back, hampering his chances for another low round. He managed a birdie on the second and 10th holes but dropped shots on 11 and 16, finishing with 30 putts.

Two-time Japan Golf Tour winner Juvic Pagunsan withdrew from the tournament after carding a 75 in the first round of the Japan Golf Tour event.

Yusaku Hosono surged ahead with a second 66 for a 132, wresting a one-stroke lead over Aguri Iwasaki and Takahiro Hataji, who shot 65 and 69, respectively, for 133s, while Shugo Imahira also fired a 65 and Kensei Hirata and Takanori Konishi matched for 134s.