Three Japanese players were in the final group in the Australian Amateur women’s tournament today, but it was another countrywoman who ended up with the lead.

Mizuki Hashimoto was outstanding on the back nine with four birdies to post a 4-under par 70 on a day that was much trickier at New South Wales than what the event has seen earlier in the week.

The winner of the 2021 Women’s Amateur Asia Pacific championship, she will take some catching at 10-under par, three ahead of fellow-Japanese player Mamika Shinchi at 7-under.

But from an Australian perspective it was the performance of Caboolture’s 18-year-old Justice Bosio that was the eyebrow-raiser. The runner-up in the Amateur in 2022, she shot a 2-under 72 which included an eagle at the fifth after she hit it within a metre of the flag with her second shot.

Becalmed on the back side, she made nine consecutive pars but with the winds up, it was enough to push her into a tie for third and a chance to go one better than her second place at Cranbourne last year.

Bosio is part of Golf Australia’s High Performance programs and has previously won the prestigious Keperra Bowl in her home state.

Injured at Cranbourne last year, she has been on song all week in Sydney with consistent rounds of 71-72-72, all 2 under.

She will play in the final group on Friday with Shinchi and Hashimoto hoping to break the notion of a Japanese sweep.

“I think it’s definitely out there,” she said. “It’ll definitely have to be a low number tomorrow, I’ll come out and play golf like every other day and hope the putts drop.”

Joint overnight leader Yuna Araki (76 today) and world No.3 ranked Saki Baba (75) are still in the mix at 6-under.

Victoria’s Molly McLean had a wonderful day in the tougher conditions shooting a 5-under par 69 that was the day’s low round for the women. She is tied-sixth at 4-under and six shots back with a chance of a result if she can go low on Friday.

Scoring