Jbe’ Kruger bounced back on Saturday with a third-round three-under-par 68 to move into a share of 16th in the Japan Golf Tour’s Japan PGA Championship at Nikko Country Club in Tochigi, Japan.
He had slipped in the second round with a one-over 72, after opening with a 68, making two double-bogeys on Friday to spoil a round that featured some superb putting. But he kept the big numbers off his card on Saturday, making five birdies and two bogeys as he ended up on five-under for the tournament, seven behind the leader Yuta Ikeda of Japan.
After the accuracy of his driving in the opening round, and letting that portion of his game slip in the second, he got things back on track in the third round, hitting 71.43 percent of fairways compared to 64.29 percent the day before.
With Shaun Norris having gone to Europe to play there in preparation for the Open Championship, Kruger is the only South African in the field.
