Plaphol tames course to lead Mitsubishi
BY Bruce Young | Japan Tour | 2009 Mitsubishi Diamond Cup Golf | Round Two | 29 May 2009
An already tough and demanding golf course for this week’s Japan Golf Tour’s Mitsubishi Diamond Cup was made even more so today when strong winds blew away many chances and at the completion of 36 holes only one player is under par.
Thailand’s Chawalit Plaphol is that player, the 34-year-old’s second round of even par 72 improving him 20 places to take a one shot lead over Tetsuya Haraguchi at 1 under par.
The Oarai Golf Club in Ibaraki Prefecture has played host to this event on eight previous occasions but never has it played as tough as it has in this week’s opening two rounds.
Three birdies in his last five holes was a stunning performance in the conditions by Plaphol and although it has been five years since his only Japan Golf Tour win at the 2004 ANA event in Hokkaido, he is well placed to improve considerably on what has been a slow start to this year.
Plaphol’s best finish in 9 starts in 2009 in both Asia and Japan has been 32nd and has missed the cut in each of the two events he has played in Japan this year prior to this week.
The best of the Australasian contingent this week at the halfway mark of the event is Brendan Jones who at 3 over is in a share of 9th. Eddie Lee and Craig Parry are one further back, while Steve Conran and rookies Nathan Uebergang and Steve Jeffress just crept inside the cut-line at 7 over. For the 26-year-old Queenslander, Uebergang, it is the first cut he has made in three career starts on the Japan Golf Tour.
