Kota Kaneko Takes Lead as Andrew 'Beef' Johnston Fades at Austrian Alpine Open
Andrew 'Beef' Johnston started strong at the Austrian Alpine Open, leading the pack after Friday's play. However, inconsistency plagued his game on Saturday, leaving him four shots behind the leader, Kota Kaneko, heading into the final round on Sunday. The 37-year-old Johnston had an impressive first round of 62, his best since the 2019 Scottish Open, but ended Saturday even-par, which hindered his progress. In contrast, Kaneko displayed remarkable consistency, carding six birdies and a bogey for a 65, marking his third consecutive day with that score. He now leads the tournament by one shot over Ricardo Gouveia of Portugal, who delivered a stunning bogey-free 63. Zhou Yanhan from China trails just a shot behind Gouveia. Johnston, aiming to break a 10-year trophy drought on the DP World Tour, faces a challenging task to catch Kaneko, who is pursuing his first DP World Tour title after finishing as runner-up at the previous week's Soudal Open. Joining Johnston in the mix is Joost Luiten, alongside fellow Englishman Joe Dean and Scotsman Calum Hill. The home crowd also has their eyes on Bernd Wiesberger, a nine-time DP World Tour winner, and Sepp Straka, who nearly achieved a hole-in-one, sitting two shots behind Kaneko but still in contention.
Source: Sky Sports - 2026-05-30