Hiroyuki Fujita lit up the greens at the U.S. Senior Open on Friday, delivering a stunning 4-under 66 to seize a one-shot lead. His eyes are set on a significant milestone: his first win on American soil.
Posting a total of 11-under 129 at Newport Country Club, Fujita is navigating uncharted waters. He shares the limelight with Richard Green, who matched his first-round 63 but followed with a 67, trailing by just one stroke. Meanwhile, Richard Bland shot an impressive 64, tying for third with Steve Stricker at 8 under.
Stephen Ames holds fifth place with a 7-under 68, while two-time U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen sits among three players at 6 under, after carding his second straight 67.
One of the most astonishing moments came from Frank Bensel, who aced both the 4th and 5th holes—an incredible feat—though he sadly missed the cut after finishing with a 74.
“We’re going to just enjoy it,” Bensel, a New York club pro, said. “The original plan was to get some sleep and get ready for tomorrow, but won’t need to do that. We’re going to have a good time and kind of lay back.”
For Fujita, the journey to the top hasn’t been easy. An 18-time winner in Japan, he hadn’t cracked the 60s in four previous PGA Tour Champions starts, nor had he finished in the top 120 of a PGA Tour event or in the top 30 of a major. Yet now, he’s strung together nearly flawless rounds.
“I was lucky yesterday, and I didn’t expect to play this well,” said the 55-year-old Fujita, who birdied three of his first five holes on Friday. “I didn’t expect that at all. I surprised myself a little bit. But it’s only Day 2, and I want to continue to play consistent and not get too high or low and see where it takes me.”
Fujita briefly reached 12 under during the round, making a birdie on the 2nd hole, his 11th of the day. However, a bogey on the par-3 fourth put a small dent in his scorecard, but he managed to par his way to the clubhouse.
As for Green, his three straight birdies from No. 18 to No. 1 kept him firmly in contention. He parred his last seven holes, setting up a thrilling finish over the weekend.
Stricker, who matched Fujita’s 66, described battling changing winds as the day’s major challenge. “We came out with soft conditions yesterday. Well, today we came out with completely the opposite wind to what we’ve seen the course in,” he noted. “I haven’t seen this course in this wind before. … It was a challenge. There are some holes that played a little bit easier, but some of the holes that played easy yesterday were difficult today.”
Defending champion Bernhard Langer, who has been dealing with an Achilles tendon injury, shot 72 and barely made the cut. Local favorite Billy Andrade also struggled, shooting 74 and falling out of the top 20. “Advantage? A little bit,” Andrade reflected. “Sleep in my own bed, fantastic. Seeing people I haven’t seen in a long time, awesome. But when you get in the ropes and you go out there, you’ve got to hit one shot at a time and you’ve got to hit them well. If not, this place can make you look like a fool.”
With just a few rounds left, the competition is heating up, and all eyes are on Fujita to see if he can maintain his momentum and secure a historic win.
Source: Espn
