South Africa’s Kruger ends four-year title wait

South Africa's Jbe Kruger won the Shigeo Nagashima INVITATIONAL Sega Sammy Cup by three shots, ending his four-year wait for a second JGTO title.

The 37-year-old, who last claimed a trophy at the 2019 Shinhan Donghae Open, carded a bogey-free five-under-par 67 at North Country Golf Club on Sunday to secure the victory.

Kruger began the final round with a three-shot lead over playing partners Naoyuki Kataoka and Shintaro Kobayashi, but his advantage diminished after he could only manage a birdie in the opening six holes.

Kataoka briefly tied for the lead by gaining four strokes over the same number of holes, but he was unable to make further progress on the back nine, settling for a matching 67 and a joint second-place finish.

However, Kruger maintained his composure, adding four more birdies on holes nine, 13, 15, and 17 to pull ahead of the chasing pack and seal the victory with a total score of 23-under-par 265.

Australia's Anthony Quayle made a strong push on the final day, concluding the week with an impressive 64, but ultimately fell three shots short.

It was a memorable day for Kruger, who had his wife and caddie, Denise, to share in the joy.

"It feels like many years ago since I've been here standing here speaking to every one of you (addressing the press). It's an absolute privilege," said Kruger.

"There were so many good young players pushing me all the way until the last three to four holes. I had to stay focused all day and couldn't afford to make any mistakes.

"I love it here in Hokkaido. I always enjoy courses with large greens. The conditions are excellent, and the climate is perfect—not too warm and not too cold."

A tearful Denise expressed relief and pride in seeing her husband cross the finish line.

"I was trying to remain as calm as possible, but on the back nine, I was very nervous," she said.

"I'm really excited and thankful that he won. I'm so proud of him."

Although he fell short, Quayle was satisfied with his season-best runner-up performance.

"I played really well, and I was really happy with my game. I really like this golf course; it sets up nicely for me," said Quayle.

"I feel like this golf course allows me to play very aggressively. I'm an aggressive player and like to take on the game.

"Sometimes on certain Japanese golf courses, it's difficult for me because they're tight, whereas this week was more of what I'm used to playing and feeling comfortable on. It allowed me to play very aggressively and give my best."

Leading final round scores:

265: Jbe Kruger (RSA) 66-67-65-67;

268: Anthony Quayle (AUS) 70-68-66-64, Naoyuki Kataoka 68-65-68-67;

269: Ryutaro Nagano 66-70-67-66;

271: Taiga Sugihara 73-68-65-66, Kosuke Suzuki 69-69-68-65, Taiki Yoshida 70-67-67-67, Shintaro Kobayashi 71-66-64-70;

272: Riki Kawamoto 69-69-68-66, Ryosuke Kinoshita 70-70-65-67, Takumi Kanaya 65-70-68-69, Yusaku Hosono 71-65-67-69.