FAR HILLS, N.J. – Shohei Hasegawa of Japan and Chang-Woo Lee of Korea battled chilly and windy conditions on Friday to share the 36-hole lead at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, being conducted at Nanshan International Golf Club’s Garden Course in Longkou City, China.
Hasegawa, a 21-year-old who attends Osaka Gakuin University, carded a 1-under 70 for a two-round total of even-par 142, while Lee, No. 31 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), posted a 73. Hasegawa, who is making his AAC debut this week, has played four professional events on the Japan Golf Tour, making the cut three times. Lee shared runner-up honors with 2011 U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy at last week’s Korean Open.
Temperatures hovered in the mid-50s with winds gusting up to 25 mph.
First-round leader Zecheng Dou, 16, of China, a quarterfinalist in this year’s U.S. Amateur Public Links and U.S. Junior Amateur, struggled to a 4-over 75, but is only a shot behind at 143. He shares third with Soo-Min Lee of Korea and Kazuya Koura of Japan, who had the day’s low round, a 2-under 69.
Two-time U.S. Open qualifier Cheng-Tsung Pan of Chinese Taipei, No. 4 in the WAGR, U.S. Amateur runner-up Oliver Goss and U.S. Amateur semifinalist Brady Watt, both of Australia and Nos. 7 and 9, respectively, in the WAGR, are tied for seventh at 3-over 145. Pan, a junior at the University of Washington, was the runner-up in this event last year.
Defending champion Tianlang Guan, who turned 15 on Friday, carded a second consecutive 74 and is six shots back in a share of 17th.
A total of 61 players from the field of 117 survived the cut at 17-over 159.
The Asia-Pacific Amateur champion receives an invitation to the 2014 Masters and an exemption into the 2014 U.S. Amateur at Atlanta Athletic Club. In addition, the champion receives an exemption from local qualifying for the 2014 U.S. Open, while the champion and runner-up are given spots in International Final Qualifying for the 2014 British Open.
The competition is sanctioned by the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation, The R&A and Augusta National Golf Club.
The final two rounds will be broadcast on Saturday and Sunday by ESPN2 at 4 a.m. EDT.