Jazz, Juvic, and Anirban shine
Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond, the reigning Asian Tour Order of Merit champion, thrilled his army of followers in the region today when he shot a seven-under-par 64 to finish in sole possession of second place after the first round of the Olympic Games men’s golf competition.
A fine birdie on the long par-four 18th ‒ where he struck his approach to three feet ‒ saw him sign for a sublime and unblemished opening round, composed of seven birdies and no dropped shots, to finish one stroke behind Austrian Sepp Straka, whose 63 was a course and Olympic record.
Belgium’s Thomas Pieters and Carlos Ortiz from Mexico tied for third after shooting 65s, at Kasumigaseki Country Club.
In equal fifth is Filipino Juvic Pagunsan, the 2011 Asian Tour Order of Merit winner, who carded a 66.
Pagunsan walks with his caddie in round one of the men’s golf competition during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Kasumigaseki Country Club in Kawagoe on July 29, 2021. (Photo by YOSHIHIRO IWAMO / AFP) (Photo by YOSHIHIRO IWAMO/AFP via Getty Images)
And, Indian star Anirban Lahiri made it three Asian Tour Order of Merit champions in the top-10 when he returned a 67, to tie for eighth.
Jazz, who claimed four Asian Tour titles when he won the 2019 Order of Merit, raced up the leader board with a four-under-par 31 back nine, with his other birdies coming on 10, 11, and 13. He also had four birdies in a row as he made birdies on eight and nine.
Impressively, Jazz ‒ who is one of 10 Asian Tour players competing in the elite 60-man field ‒ moved into contention despite having to finish his last three holes after two-hour and 19-minute weather delay.
“It’s early in the tournament,” Jazz said. “You can’t win the tournament on the first day, but you can get yourself in a good position for sure. So, I think I did that, I put myself in a good position and I just tried to hang on and try to keep going on.”
When asked what it is like to play in his first Olympics, he added: “Playing golf with a different mindset. You’re not playing for yourself, you’re playing for the country, you’re playing for the medals, you’re just going for it, you’re just playing with all your heart, it’s different.”
Having won his first title in Japan at the Gateway to The Open Mizuno Open in May, Pagunsan today showed he is playing some of the finest golf of his career at the age of 43.
He fired six birdies and just one bogey, proudly flying the flag as the only Filipino in the field, with compatriot and former Tour player Artemio Murakami on the bag.
Lahiri plays his shot from the fourth tee during the first round at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Kasumigaseki Country Club on July 29, 2021 in Kawagoe, Saitama, Japan. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Lahiri won the Order of Merit in 2015 and is determined this week to improve on his 57th placing in Rio.
“It was good. I think I started off a little dodgy first few holes, couldn’t get my rhythm going early. But then I settled down nicely,” said the Indian.
“I think I played pretty good. I probably feel like I could have taken some more chances, some opportunities on the back nine I didn’t make as many birdies as I could have. But I’m playing well, so I have to build on this and as you can see already there’s a lot of opportunities if it keeps playing like this, soft, there’s not much rain today, then you have to go out there and just really be aggressive and make a lot of putts.”
Pre-tournament favourites Collin Morikawa from the United States ‒ winner of The Open two weeks ago ‒ Masters’ champion Hideki Matsuyama from Japan, and Ireland’s Rory McIlory all carded 69s.
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