Open starts at stake in Japan this weekend for Australasians

Anthony Quayle – file photo

Queensland based Anthony Quayle has a share of the lead at the halfway mark of the Japan Tour’s Mizuno Open at the JFE Setonaikai Golf Club, Okayama, a second round of 70 leaving him in a share of the lead with Ryuichi Oiwa.

The leading pair are ahead by one over Japan’s Shotaro Wada and two ahead of Quayle’s fellow Gold Coast based, Brad Kennedy, who last week finished 4th in a Japan Tour event.

Importantly for those in this weekend’s field and not already exempt into this year’s Open Championship, the leading four players inside the top twelve at the completion of this week’s event and not already qualified to play the Open at St Andrews this week will earn a ticket to the field in July.

So Quayle, Kennedy, New Zealand’s Michael Hendry (11th this week), David Bransdon (22nd) and to a lesser extent Brendan Jones (42nd) have a chance to this week to be on the way to St Andrews for the historic 150th staging of the Open Championship.

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Seven Australasians make US$10 million US Women’s Open field


Lydia Ko – the highest ranked player amongst the seven Australasians – photo LPGA 

Seven Australasians will take their part in next week’s US Women’s Open at the Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club in Southern Pines in North Carolina, the event beginning on June 2nd.

Minjee Lee, Hannah Green, Gabriella Ruffels, Sarah Kemp and Grace Kim will be joined by New Zealanders Lydia Ko and Julianne Alvarez in the richest event in women’s golf (US$10 million)

Perth’s Minjee Lee is currently the 4th ranked player in the female game and will play her 9th US Women’s Open but despite her success and standing in the game has a previous best of only 11th, that coming in 2017 at the Trump National Golf Course.

Lee, though, is in fine form in with a win, two runner-up finishes and a third place in seven starts to date on the LPGA Tour in 2022.

Her chances of improving on her previous best and bettering it by some way appear very good.

New Zealand’s Lydia Ko is currently the 3rd ranked played in the female game and like Lee is having a fine season with a win and a 3rd place amongst her six top twenty finishes in 2022.

Ko will play her 11th US Women’s Open although, interestingly, has only one top ten in her previous ten attempts. Like Lee, she appears on track to add to improve that stat and perhaps even challenge for the title.

Perth’s Hannah Green has also had a very good year to date in 2022, winning twice in mixed gender events in Australia before beginning her LPGA Tour campaign.

With four top tens in seven starts on the LPGA Tour in 2022, including a recent runner-up finish, she appears to be warming to her task and has a proven capacity to compete in big events although her record in this particular event perhaps belies that comment.

In three US Open starts she has made all three cuts but has a best of 34th on debut in 2019.

NSW’s Sarah Kemp gained a start via Final Qualifying, always a significant achievement and she will play her 6th US Open although she has missed the cut in five of those.

Kemp has battled for much of the season to date on the LPGA Tour but she gets another chance in this significant event and if she can make it to the weekend then there will be a reasonable cheque for her.

Victorian Gabi Ruffels is another to have gained her place in the field via Final Qualifying. The former winner and runner-up at the US Amateur Championship will play her third US Open, her previous starts courtesy of her US Amateur placings.

In 2020 Ruffels, who currently plays on the LPGA’s feeder tour, the Epson Tour, finished a very respectable 13th and has also performed well in previous major attempts.

Her form in 2022 has been somewhat below expectations but she is in this elite field and has a chance to improve her standing.

Sydney’s Grace Kim recently won an event on the Epson Tour and gets into this field for her first attempt in a major championship via Final Qualifying.

Kim has shown in her first few months as a professional that she might well become one of Australian golf’s next stars and gets her chance this week to compete against the strongest field she will have faced and for the largest amount of prizemoney she has even played for.

New Zealander Julianne Alvarez was a star during her time at the University of Washington, playing a key role in that team’s NCAA Championship victory in 2016.

The former New Zealand Amateur Champion qualified through Final Qualifying and gets to play in her first US Women’s Open.

 

 

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Victoria’s Todd Sinnott earns US Open start


Todd Sinnott – on his way to the US open – photo Japan Golf Tour

Victorian Todd Sinnott, currently ranked 415 in the world, has earned a start at the 2022 US Open, after finishing as one of the three to qualify via Final Qualifying for the event in Japan.

34 players attempted to gain one of the three spots available over 36 holes and Sinnott gained his start after a playoff to determine his place at the Country Club at Brookline in Massachusetts, having finished in a share of third place with two others.

Sinnott joins fellow Australians Cameron Smith, Marc Leishman, Adam Scott, Lucas Herbert and Min Woo Lee as the Australians currently  amongst the 79 players players already with a start in the event which begins on June 16th.

Further places in the field are available through Final Stage Qualifying in the US which takes place on June 6th.

Sinnott is currently playing the Asian Tour but was in Japan for a recent event co sanctioned between the Japan and Asian Tours which he led early. He took advantage of the opportunity while there to compete in qualifying for his first major championship start.

Sinnott won earlier in the year when successful in one of the PGA Tour of Australasia’s TPS events.

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Rookie Grace Kim wins on Epson Tour

Grace Kim – file photo WPGA

Sydney’s Grace Kim has made a strong claim for LPGA Tour honours in 2023, the 21 year old winning an event on the Epson Tour this morning, the feeder tour to the LPGA Tour.

Kim pockets US$30,000 for her victory in her first season as a professional, winning the event in Longwood in Florida by five shots over fellow Australian Sarah Jane Smith and Korean, Hyo Joo Jang, with yet another Australian Robyn Choi in 4th place.

Kim turned professional late last year and attended the LPGA Tour school where she missed out on an LPGA Tour status but gained access to this tour where the goal is to finish inside the top ten at season’s end and earn playing rights to the LPGA Tour the following year.

The Epson Tour season consists of 24 events and has in the past been a breeding ground for many of the female game’s best players including the likes of Lorena Ochoa, Inbee Park and Nelly Korda.

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Smith and Herbert share Australasian honours at PGA

 

Lucas Herbert recorded his best finish in a major with a share of 13th place – photo PGA of America

Cameron Smith and Lucas Herbert have shared the honours as leading Australasian at this week’s PGA Championship in Tulsa in Oklahoma, the pair finishing in a tie for 13th after Herbert, in particular, had fought his way into contention earlier in his final round.

Herbert began the day in 10th place and eight shots from the lead of Miro Pereira but a brilliant start on the demanding Southern Hills layout had him closing within striking distance of the lead when he birdied the 1st and 4th holes.

Herbert reached the turn in 2 under 33 and at 3 under and with those behind him on the golf course battling, a strong finish may well have seen him vying for the title.

Unfortunately for the 26-year-old, he would bogey the 11th, 12th and 14th and when he double bogeyed the 16th he was battling to retain his standing as even the leading Australasian as by then Smith was already in the clubhouse at even par and two ahead of Herbert.

Herbert somehow managed to compose himself and birdie the 17th and 18th holes after quality irons to both and would complete his 4th PGA Championship in 13th position to record his best ever finish in a major championship.

Smith put together a solid final round of 69, a birdie at his 17th hole getting him back to even par and in a share of that 13th place.

Smith moves to his highest ever standing in the world, now in 3rd place in the world ranking.


Cameron Smith shared Australasian honours – photo PGA of America

The tournament was won by Justin Thomas who won his second major title, both of them PGA Championships having also won the 2017 version of the event.

Having led when he finished his second round of 67 on Friday before being overtaken that day by Will Zalatoris though 36 holes, Thomas fell seven shots from the 54 lead of Mito Pereira with a third round of 74.

Thomas actually fell further behind with two early bogeys today but on a day of high drama his fightback for a third 67 of the week saw him be part of a two man playoff against Zalatori.

Thomas gained the edge with a two putt birdie at the second extra hole after finding the green with his tee shot at the par 4 and would go on to win the shootout by one shot.

Justin Thomas in action during the final round – photo PGA of America

One could not help but feel for the Chilean Pereira who led for so much of the last 36 holes before a 72nd hole double-bogey saw him not only lose the one shot lead he had standing on that tee but a chance to be included in the playoff.

“Obviously sad to be here and not in the playoff, not make par, just straight win,” said Pereira. “On 18, I wasn’t even thinking about the water. I just wanted to put it in play, and I guess I aimed too far right. I just hit in the water.

“It’s not how I wanted to end up this week, but a really good result. Played really good. Today I was really nervous. I tried to handle it a little bit but it’s really tough. I thought I was going to win on 18, but it is what it is. We’ll have another one.”

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Brad Kennedy 4th in Japan Tour’s Golf Partner event in Ibaraki


Kennedy in action this week – photo Japan Golf Tour

Queenslander Brad Kennedy has recorded his best Japan Tour finish in two and a half years by finishing 4th in this week’s Golf Partner Pro Am event in Toride Kokusai Golf Club in Ibaraki Prefecture.

Kennedy, a four time winner on the Japan Golf Tour, finished runner-up at the Golf Japan Series JT Cup in late 2019 although with the disruption of Covid in the last two years, his campaign in Japan has been restricted but after leading through 36 holes this week, the 47 year old held on to finish 4th and only one shot out of a three way playoff.

The number one money winner on the 2020 /2021 PGA Tour of Australasia money list, Kennedy appeared a strong chance to win the event through ten holes of today’s round but bogeys at his 14th and 15th holes cost him dearly and although he rallied late with birdies at the 16th and 17th, he fell one short of the playoff.

“I’m pretty gutted right now. I guess this one hurts. You only get so many chances a year,” said Kennedy.

“I played nicely today, but I didn’t get my yardages right on the short par-fours. I failed to make any birdies on those holes, which really cost me today.

“I hit a couple of bad shots on 14 and 15 and paid the price. I really grinded it out and made nice birdies on 16 and 17 and then made a great putt at the last, but I can’t believe it didn’t break.

“All in all, it was the short pat-fours that I really needed to take advantage of. But there was nothing much I could do about them today,” he lamented.

Kennedy earns $A25,000 (equiv) for his finish in one of the lesser prize money events on the Japan Tour.

The tournament was won by Shugo Imahira after a birdie the the second hole of a playoff secured the 29 year old his 7th Japan Tour victory.

Of the other Australians, Anthony Quayle finished in a share of 16th place, Brendan Jones 22nd and Andrew Evans 37th.

Kennedy is the leading Australasian on the Japan Tour to date in 2022 in 20th place on the money list.

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Lucas Herbert on edge of contention at PGA Championship

Lucas Herbert and caddie Nick Pugh – at the 10th hole today. Photo Montana Pritchard PGA of America.

Lucas Herbert will head the Australasians into tomorrow’s final round of the PGA Championship in Tulsa in Oklahoma following a third round of 68 has left him eight shots from the lead held by Chilean Mito Pereira and not without hope of contending for the title.

Outside of the brilliant 65 of Webb Simpson and the 67’s of Sean Power, Cameron Young and Matthew Fitzpatrick, Herbert’s effort was the equal best round of the day and leaves him in a share of 1oth place after beginning the day in 30th place and ten shots from the then 36 hole lead held by Will Zalatoris.

Not only is Herbert in line to better his previous best of 71st in three starts in this event, he has opened the door with a strong finishing round tomorrow to record by some way his best finish in what will be nine major starts and perhaps something considerably better. His previous best was when 31st at the 2020 US Open.

Already 46th in the world ranking, his standing in world golf will improve even further if he is able to produce that low round tomorrow and even challenging for the title is perhaps not out of the question.

“Yeah, 100 percent,” responded Herbert when it was suggested anything under par was a good score today. “I felt like I played pretty solid out there today. Just didn’t hit a lot of horrible golf shots, and then felt like I was just a little sharp around the greens chipping and putting. It was a pretty solid day. I’m not too unhappy with all that.

“I’ll try and get as much rest as I can. I’ve been pretty good all week. Just keeping my body pretty fresh for the challenge of this week. I’ve had three weeks off leading up to the event so I’m relatively fresh compared to the guys who have played more in the last couple of week.

“Try to store up all the energy I can. Stay away from those beers tonight. If they are going to be $18 (reference to the cost of beer at the event), I don’t think I’ll go near them anyway. But do everything I can and give myself as much energy as possible for tomorrow.”

New Zealand’s Ryan Fox is also heading for a possible best finish in a major championship after a third consecutive round of 70 leaves him tied for 17th and one behind Herbert. Fox’s previous best at the major championship level was when 16th at the 2019 Open Championship at Royal Portrush.

Fox bogeyed the 15th and 18th holes today in what was otherwise a very impressive performance, following on from a series of good finishes in Europe this season, having won in the UAE and finished runner-up in Belgium just last week.

Of the other Australasians who made it to the weekend, Cameron Smith finished with a round of 73 to be at 1 over and ten shots from the lead, Jason Day is 45th, with Cameron Day and Marc Leishman 55th.

The leader, Pereira will chase not only his first major title but his first PGA Tour victory and so faces a big task to hold off several others in a similar position to him including the more experienced Will Zalatoris and Matthew Fitzpatrick who trail by three and like the leader are still without a PGA Tour victory, although Fitzpatrick has won seven events on the European Tour.

Zalatoris does have four top tens in major championships including a runner-up finish at the 2020 Masters so, on paper, he might well be the one to break through tomorrow although Pereira is a proven winner on lesser tours with three wins at Korn Ferry Tour level.

Pereira impressed in the manner he fought back from four dropped shots in five holes in the middle of the round and gave the impression that despite the magnitude of the task tomorrow he might well be up to it.

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The three shot leader, Mito Pereira – photo PGA of America Darren Carroll

 

 

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Cameron Smith loses ground but stays in touch at PGA

Cameron Smith watches his tee shot at the 7th today -PGA of America Montana Pritchard

After an opening round of 68 on Thursday left him three shots behind the leader, Justin Thomas, Cameron Smith now finds himself seven shots from the lead at the PGA Championship in Tulsa in Oklahoma but by no means is he out of contention.

The leader, Will Zalatoris, is not only chasing his first major title but his first PGA Tour victory although with four top tens already to his name he has shown a capacity to handle the heat of the battle at this level.

Zalatoris leads by one over another yet to record a win on the PGA Tour, Mito Pereira, although during a stellar career on the Korn Ferry Tour the Chilean won on three occasions and finished 4th at the Olympics in 2021 and so is a rising star as a rookie on the PGA Tour.

Smith was unable to take full advantage of the better afternoon conditions he enjoyed in his half of the draw although when he reached the turn in 33 he was just two from the then lead before two bogeys on the homeward nine saw him finish in a share of 10th.

Lucas Herbert was tied with Smith heading into round two but, playing in the morning half of the draw on day two, he fell victim to the very demanding windy conditions that prevailed for that side of the draw.

Herbert finished the day with a round of 73 although to his credit he recovered from a horror front nine of 39 with a 1 under run home to finish the opening 36 holes at 1 over par and in a share of 30th place.

New Zealander Ryan Fox continued his good recent form in Europe with a second consecutive round of 70 to be at even par and tied for 23rd. A double bogey at his 5th hole could well have sent him spiralling down the leaderboard but he fought back with a solid finish late in the day and has a great chance of bettering by some way his previous best PGA Championship finish of 27th.

Marc Leishman and Jason Day are tied for 53rd at 3 over while Cameron Davis completed the line-up of six Australasians into the weekend with birdie at the final two holes to make the cut on the number.

Min Woo Lee missed by an agonising one shot after his round of 72 today, Adam Scott rebounded with a second round of 70 but still missed by three, while Matt Jones was further back.

Zalatoris is developing a reputation for playing the big events well and after his round of 65 he explained why.

“Yeah, they’re tough golf courses that allows my ball-striking to really give me the best chances,” said the leader.

“Obviously these greens aren’t easy, but hitting them on the right tiers and being able to have the 15- to 25-footers where I’m not going up and down slopes is huge.

“But the other part, too, I think is just I’ve kind of had an attitude with the majors, especially since the Masters, where I wanted to enjoy the experience as much as I could. I don’t want to leave anything — looking back from 20 years from now I don’t want to regret my attitude or anything like that.

“So I just make sure that after really every single shot I hit, it’s just — I don’t want to say life or death, but make sure I’m fully committed to everything that I do because we only get four of them a year.”

Will Zalatoris at the 7th today – photo PGA of America Montana Pritchard

Tiger Wood’s performance was again the subject of much scrutiny and he let no-one down with yet another impressive fight to finish at 3 over and inside the cutline of 4 over. 

A double bogey at his 11th hole took Woods to 5 over and it appeared that might have cost him the chance of making his second cut in succession after his return from injuries sustained in his near death accident fifteen months ago.

“Well, just the fact that I’m able to play golf again and play in our biggest championships,” said Woods when asked what makes the battle against pain worth it.

“As I alluded to earlier, you guys all know, I’m not going to be playing a lot of tournaments going forward. They’re going to be the biggest tournaments. I want to be able to play the major championships. I’ve always loved playing them.

“Coming back here to a place that I’ve had success on, to play against the best players in the world, that’s what we all want to be able to do. Fortunately enough, I’m able to somehow do it. I’ve had a great PT staff that have put Humpty-Dumpty back together, and we’ll go out there tomorrow, and hopefully tomorrow I can do something like what Bubba did today.”


Tiger Woods today – photo Darren Carroll PGA of America

 

 

 

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Brad Kennedy takes lead in Japan

Brad Kennedy today – photo Japan Golf Tour

Australian Brad Kennedy, a four-time Japan Golf Tour event winner, fired a seven-under-par 63 to seize a two-stroke lead at the halfway stage of the Golf Partner Pro-Am Tournament at Toride Kokusai Golf Club in Ibaraki on Friday.

The 47-year-old built on his sizzling opening 61 by marking his scorecard with eight birdies, including four successive ones, starting at the par-four eighth, and one bogey on the East Course to leap into the lead on 16-under-par 124.

Yuta Ikeda, who began the tournament with a magical 59, recovered from a roller coaster day to post a 67 to share second on 126 with last year’s joint-runner-up Tomoharu Matsuki, who also impressed with a 64 on the West Course.

Sho Nagasawa sparkled with a bogey-free 62 to be tied for fourth at five shots off the pace with Scott Vincent of Zimbabwe (64).

Kennedy swiftly picked up where he left off yesterday by notching seven birdies in his opening 14 holes. He dropped his only bogey of the day on the 15th but swiftly redeemed himself on the 17th hole.

“It’s always tricky after a good start and try to back it up. I got off to a nice start with birdies on three and four,” said Kennedy.

“Being able to get early birdies after a good start allows you to relax a bit and play really nice through the middle of the day. I made four birdies in a row from eight through 11.

“The 15 was really a tough par-four. I took my medicine there and could really get up and down the bunker. But I still understood what was available. I hit nice shots on 16 and also on 17, which I made a birdie there.

“I definitely didn’t expect to be 16-under after two days, but there’s a lot of good stuff there, and I’m looking forward to the weekend.

Having last won his fourth JGTO at the 2018 Shigeo Nagashima Invitational SEGA SAMMY Cup, Kennedy hopes to capitalise on the two-shot advantage to help secure a long-overdue victory.

But to get there, Kennedy believes he can’t afford to play it safe and need to approach the weekend aggressively.

“There’s a lot to play for at the weekend. The course can produce very low scores,” he noted.

“Fairways are a premium here, and you got to be spot on. The greens are holding it nicely, so there’s plenty of pins to attack, and everyone will do the same in the weekend.”

“So, you can’t really stay where you are and have to keep going forward. It’s important to maintain self-control and, at the same time, be aggressive.

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Cameron Smith and Lucas Herbert begin well at PGA Championship

Cameron Smith in action today – photo PGA of America Maddie Meyer

Cameron Smith and Lucas Herbert, playing at opposite ends of the draw, head the nine Australasians at the completion of the opening round of the PGA Championsuip at the Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa Oklahoma.

Hebert’s round, played in the afternoon conditions, was particularly impressive given the more breezy conditions that buffeted the par 70 layout in the latter half of the day and if not for two late bogeys he would have been the star of the opening day for players from our region.

After an opening nine of 2 under 33, Herbert got within one of the early leader Rory McIlroy’s 5 under round of 65 before a bogey at the 15th and again at the 18th saw him finish the day in a share of 7th with Smith and others and three behind McIlroy.

Smith’s round of 68 has him in a share of but it will be the five birdies in his first seven holes on the way in that was so impressive. a bogey at his 17th hole (he started at the 10th) put a little bit of a dampener on what was a great recovery but he is well positioned as the event heads into day two.

“I guess it did kind of change there; just a little bit of a mental reset,” said Smith referring to the chnage once he hit the 10th tee. “I felt as though I had played some pretty good golf on my front nine, but unfortunately a couple times with gusts of wind and stuff like that, yeah, you can make some pretty quick bogeys and doubles around here if you’re not careful.

“Yeah, just took that into account, a quick mental reset, and I knew I was hitting the ball well; just need to go out there and do it.”

Despite his early tee time Smith played in the high humidity prevalent in Tulsa and commented on that. “It’s like a summer’s morning in Brisbane. It’s actually quite nice, quite a nice change. I love playing in this stuff. I’ve felt like we’ve played in cold the last six months, so I’m ready for summer.”

Herbert, playing his 4th PGA Championship but with a best of 71st previously, began his round more than six hours after Smith and, in the buffeting winds, birdied three of his first five holes before a bogey at his 6th hole saw him turn in 33.

He built on that when he birdied the 10th and although he bogeyed the 11th, he chipped in for birdie at the 12th to move within two of the lead and then birdied the par 5 5th (his 14th hole) to move within one.

He would, though, bogey the 6th and 9th holes to finish his round but it was an impressive start especially given the more demanding afternoon conditions.

“Yeah, definitely would have taken 2-under at the start of the day,” said Herbert when asked to assess his round.

“This place is not easy. Obviously it can get pretty squirrelly out there with the wind. Yeah, I mean, I feel kind of comfortable here. This reminds me of some golf back home on the Sand Belt, Peninsula Kingswood for the guys in Australia listening.

“Has that very similar feel about it with the run-offs around the greens and just the bunkering that the hole sort of — how open a lot of the golf course is. You’ve got fairways that kind of blend into other fairways and bunkers that kind of come into play on multiple holes. It has that Australian feel about it in a way, even though the grass is a little different.

“You know, yeah, it’s just made me comfortable. I’ve played enough of these major championships now where I feel like I know what it is that I need to do to play well. I haven’t been able to play the way I would have liked in the majors I’ve played so far, but feel like I’ve got more of an understanding of what I need to do to have a chance to compete on Sunday.”


Lucas Herbert – photo PGA of America Darren Carroll

Of the other nine Australasians there were mixed results.

New Zealand’s Ryan Fox continued his impressive recent form in Europe by opening with a round of 70 to be tied for 27th after four birdies and four bogeys.

Jason Day is tied for 38th after his round of 71, Cameron Davis and Marc Leishman both had rounds of 72, Matt Jones and Min Woo Lee 73 and Adam Scott 77 including a quadruple bogey at the 17th.

The leader, McIlroy, picked up where he left off in his last major when a final round of 64 at Augusta National saw him finish runner-up behind Scottie Scheffler at the Masters.

The two time PGA Champion reached 6 under par before two late bogeys, then a birdie at the last saw him open with his round of 5 under 65.

“Yeah, look, it was a great start to the tournament,” said McIlroy. “I’ve been playing well coming in here. I’ve been carrying some good form. Obviously I took a lot from that last round at Augusta, played well up in D.C. at the Wells Fargo there, and played good in the practice rounds earlier this week.

“I think when your game is feeling like that, it’s just a matter of going out there and really sticking to your game plan, executing as well as you possibly can, and just sort of staying in your own little world. I did that really well today. It was nice to get off to that good start and sorta keep it going.

“I feel like this course, it lets you be pretty aggressive off the tee if you want to be, so I hit quite a lot of drivers out there and took advantage of my length and finished that off with some nice iron play and some nice putting.”

SCORES


The leader Rory McIlroy hits his approach to the 18th today – photo Darren Carrol PGA of America

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