Ten birdies, no bogeys and a four-stroke advantage
On November 5, 2026, Japan's Koshiro Maeda, 26, opened the ACN Championship Golf Tournament at Miki Golf Club in Hyogo Prefecture with a 61 (10 under par). The Japan Golf Tour Organization (JGTO) leaderboard, updated at 4:12 p.m. Japan time (07:12 UTC), places him alone at the top, four strokes ahead of the next group. This is the completed opening round of a scheduled four-round event, not the result of the championship.
The official hole-by-hole scorecard leaves no need to infer how he reached ten under: ten birdies, eight pars, no bogeys and no eagles. Starting on the 10th, Maeda covered holes 10–18 in 31 strokes (five under) before playing holes 1–9 in 30 (five under). His 61 came on a par-71 course. The JGTO scorecard also records 23 putts for the round, a statistic distinct from his total stroke count.
Seven players share second place
Shohei Oda, Genzo Tokimatsu, Aguri Iwasaki, Ryota Wakahara, South Korea's Sang-hee Lee, amateur Takumi Kobayashi and Tomohiro Kondo all completed the round on 65 (six under), tied for second. Lee is the closest South Korean challenger, four strokes behind Maeda, while compatriot Young-Han Song posted 68 (three under). Several other competitors finished on 66 (five under).
A four-shot cushion after 18 holes is meaningful but far from decisive. Three further rounds will test whether Maeda can maintain his approach play and putting performance, and the sizable group on six under has ample opportunities to apply pressure. The leaderboard combines established professionals and an amateur near the top; an opening-day ranking alone cannot predict who will contend on Sunday.
Why this opening round matters for Maeda
Maeda has previously demonstrated an ability to surge into an early lead. Official JGTO season results show him atop the standings after opening rounds of the Chunichi Crowns (62) and Kansai Open (66) in 2026, yet he did not convert either event into a victory. The 61 at Miki is therefore another high-level start rather than proof that the title is secured.
According to the JGTO's published statistics, Maeda has not yet recorded a win on the main Japan Golf Tour. The task is to translate an outstanding round into a complete tournament performance. Ten documented birdies reflect his scoring efficiency; the absence of bogeys is just as important because no stroke was lost to par on any hole.
Event context and format
The 57th ACN Championship runs November 5–8 at Miki Golf Club, with 108 entrants and a ¥120 million total purse according to the organizer. It is a Japan Golf Tour main-tour tournament scheduled for four rounds of individual stroke play, and should not be confused with the separate developmental ACN Tour.
Yuta Sugiura won the 2025 edition, which was curtailed to 54 holes because of rain. That precedent is a reminder that tournament schedules may be affected by conditions; it does not mean the 2026 competition has already been shortened.
What comes next
Round two is scheduled for November 6. The questions are whether Maeda can preserve his four-shot advantage, whether the crowded group at six under can narrow the gap, and how the results may shape the late-season JGTO picture. Maeda's 61 is a confirmed first-round score, not a tournament-winning total. Future updates should be based on the official live leaderboard.
Sources: JGTO leaderboard; Maeda's official scorecard; official event information; 2026 player results.
