International Series Japan Round 3

Date
Fri 3rd April 2026 (UTC)
Sat 4th April 2026 (Local)

Timestamp
2026-04-03T22:00:00

Time

22:00:00 UTC (07:00:00 Local)

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League
Asian Tour

Season
2026

Round
3

Status
Match Finished

Location

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Description

Moving Day at Caledonian Golf Club in Chiba introduces a significant tactical challenge as the winds have intensified, shifting the course's profile from a scoring haven to a test of flight control. The primary objective for the overnight leader, Hongtaek Kim, is to maintain his rhythmic tempo and avoid the short-side misses that make par-saves nearly impossible on these tiered surfaces. For the chasers, the goal is to capitalize on the early morning relative calm before the predicted 30 km/h gusts begin to penalize any high-arcing shots.

Strategically, the focus centers on the back nine, which features several forced carries over water and deep, penalizing bunkers. The objective for the players is to prioritize "low-spin" drives to combat the crosswinds while ensuring they find the correct sections of the greens to avoid defensive three-putting. The tactical focus for the field is the par-5 18th, a hole that historically offers an eagle opportunity for those willing to risk a long carry over the greenside hazards to jump up the leaderboard before the final round.

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Result List

Result Description

A "see-saw" battle in difficult conditions concluded with Hongtaek Kim (KOR) and local star Shugo Imahira (JPN) sharing the lead at 10-under-par. Kim, who has led since the opening day, fought through a challenging back nine that included bogeys on the 10th, 12th, and 14th holes, eventually signing for a 1-over-par 72. Despite the mid-round wobble, his objective of staying in the hunt was secured by a steady front nine that cushioned the impact of the late-day gusts.

Shugo Imahira moved into the co-lead after a resilient 1-under-par 71, capped off by a spectacular birdie on the 18th hole to ignite the home gallery. They are pursued closely by Korea’s Yubin Jang, who sits just one stroke back at 9-under-par after a solid 71. The round’s standout performance came from Australia’s Travis Smyth, who fired a clinical 3-under-par 68—one of the few "red numbers" of the afternoon—to move into a tie for fourth at 8-under-par alongside Karandeep Kochhar. American Austen Truslow also made a significant move, carding the low round of the day with a 66 to jump into the top 15 and put himself within striking distance for Sunday’s finale.

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