Jbe’ Kruger started the weather-delayed first round of the Gate Way To The Open Mizuno Open on the Japan Golf Tour on Friday with a bogey, but he recovered to post a four-under-par 68 to slot into a share of 17th.
With the tournament reduced to 54 holes because the whole of the first day was lost to rain, Kruger made a bogey on the 10th after starting the tournament there. He regained the shot immediately with a birdie on 11, but dropped again on the 16th. He got his act together on his homeward nine, with five birdies and no drops moving him to five shots off the lead held by Katsumasa Miyamoto of Japan.
There are two spots in the Open Championship at Royal St Georges in July up for grabs in the tournament, so there is an extra incentive for Kruger, as well as for Shaun Norris, who opened with a two-under-par 70 after winning last week’s tournament on the Japan Golf Tour.
The other Sunshine Tour player in action in the tournament was Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent, who performed best of all in the opening round, with his five-under-par 67 putting him in a share of seventh.
