Wichita, Kansas - Chinese Taipei player Yu Junan took two shots to lead by 9 under par in the third round of the Wichita Open on Saturday, laying the foundation for his first professional victory on the Glory International Tour.
This is the second game that 22-year-old Yu Junan has participated as a full card player after finishing fourth in the first PGA Tour college rankings, thus gaining exemption from the remaining events of the season for the Glory International Tour, which was launched last year to provide elite college golfers with a path to the PGA Tour.
As a former world's first amateur and a leader at Arizona State University, Yu Junan had the chance to hit a magical golf number (59) on Saturday, but he was still happy to hit a 9-under par, which tied the Cristview Country Club's stadium record and tied the lowest single-round record in the 32-year history of the game.
Chinese player Bai Zhengkai scored 64 and ranked 27th with a score of 9 under par, tied with his compatriot Yuan Yechun who scored 66. Zhang Xinjun handed over 65 and was tied for 38th.
Yu Jun caught 9 birdies in safe days and did not take bogeys. The total score this week was 19 strokes below par, leading 36 hole leader Harry Hall 2 strokes. He finished 20th in his professional debut last week.
"I kicked off well today, hitting the ball on the green many times, so I had some birdie opportunities, and I took those opportunities," said Yu Junan. "I didn't think about 59. The result is very close, but I didn't think about it. I just wanted to play every single shot of mine. Try to stay in the moment."
Yu Junan started the third round with four birdies in a row and cut into another birdie on the ninth hole of the par-4. In the next six holes, Yu Junan caught four birdies, and with three holes left, the single-round score had reached -9. On the par 4 and par 3 on the 16th hole, he twice birded with a 15-foot birdie. On the par 4 on the 18th hole, Yu Junan successfully tied the par and finished steadily with 61 strokes.
"I know I can play such a game, but in this round, I never thought of leading," said Yu Junan, who scored 13 under par on his last 23 holes.
"I just try to focus on every shot and not think about the future. My current game can help me win here. From last week to this week, I feel that my form has been solid. I have strong confidence in tomorrow's game."
Yu Junan announced his presence to the golf world for the first time, winning the Western Junior Championship in 2015, the oldest national junior golf competition in the United States. The tournament’s past champions include accomplished PGA Tour players Colin Morikawa (2013), Ritchie Fowler (2005) and Jim Fowrick (1987).
In the first three seasons of Arizona State, Yu Junan won a game every spring. In 2019, Yu Junan won the Australian Amateur Masters Championship, defeating opponents including future PGA Tour champion Matthew Wolf. Then, Yu Junan completed the 2018-19 season with an average of 69.20 - second only to five-time PGA Tour champion Joan Ram's youth (2014-15) in Arizona State University's statistical records since 1987 - and was selected as the No. 1 team of the All-American Stars.
Yu Junan finished an incredible season with third place in the 2019 NCAA Championship, behind Wolf and Stephen Fisker. He also won a team gold medal for the Chinese Taipei team at the 2014 Asian Games, including Pan Zhengcong, who was once the PGA Tour champion and is now Yu Junan's close friend.
When the COVID-19 pandemic swept the world last year, Yu Junan chose to stay at Arizona State University for his fifth year, and pursued the qualifications of the Guanghui International Tour through the newly established PGA Tour University.
"This is a great opportunity for us, and after graduation, I have the opportunity to play directly on the Guanghui International Tour," said Yu Junan, "After the outbreak... I have nowhere to play.I plan to be a professional player, but I just don't know where to play. After staying for another year, I had the opportunity to stay in the top five and make it to the Glory International Tour. This is definitely a good experience for me. This project has been very helpful to me to get here. "
" (Tomorrow's) may be very nervous. But I think what I have to do is stick to the plan and focus on the present. This is what I really hope I can do tomorrow: focus on the present, not think about the future, focus on the present, and stick to the plan. ”
