Justin Kuk made the halfway cut at the 17th Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship on Friday 30 October, surviving gusts of up to 58kph at Te Arai Links in Auckland to reach the weekend rounds.
A second 75 and an eagle on the 18th
The 25-year-old followed his opening round with a second successive 4-over 75 to sit tied 34th. He dropped six bogeys on a course that, in the words of the organisers, showed its teeth, but an eagle on the par-5 18th secured his place in the final two rounds. It came from a 2-iron approach of 227 yards that finished about six feet from the flag.
Only five under-par scores were recorded on Friday across the 120-man field. Defending champion Fifa Laopakdee of Thailand shot a 72 and holds a two-shot lead. Singapore’s other representative, Ng Wei Jun, missed the cut after an 82.
What Kuk said about the wind
Kuk, who is making his third Championship appearance, said he had checked the forecast beforehand. “So we got mentally prepared for sure,” he said, adding that he tried to make pars and take chances when he had short wedges into the greens. Putting on fast greens in the wind was the hardest part, he said, and he took time to restart his routine several times.
Chasing a personal best
With two rounds to go, Kuk is aiming to better his personal best finish of T33 at Dubai in 2021. “Seeing the winds the next few days, being able to adapt when the conditions are a little easier, that’s when we are able to aim at more pins,” he said.
For the background to his week, read how Kuk came back from a health scare to tee up at Te Arai Links, and see where the next two Championships will be played. Our sports coverage has more.
Image credit: Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC).
