Fit-again Semikawa ends title drought with playoff win

Taiga Semikawa returned to the winner’s circle after two years by defeating Mikumu Horikawa with a birdie on the first playoff hole to lift the BMW Japan Golf Tour Championship Mori Building Cup on Sunday.
 
The 24-year-old, who had to endure an injury layoff for more than a month, birdied two of his closing last three holes to force the contest into extra time after closing with a five-under-par 66 at the Shishido Hills Country Club.
 
Playing in the final group, Horikawa had to make a birdie in one of his last three holes after Semikawa had already reached the clubhouse with his four-day total of 10-under-par 272.
 
But those birdies proved elusive, and it continued to do so at the playoff 18th hole.
 
Semikawa, meanwhile, withstood the mental pressure as he headed into the final stretch and was thankful for divine help that finally led him to a grandstand finish.
 
“The tension was extremely high. I barely remembered my winning putt! When I was two shots behind with three holes left, I was praying to the golfing gods.
 
“I was really depressed during my 1.5-month injury break, as the doctors could not diagnose my rib stress fracture. This win validates all the rehabilitation work, and I feel I’m ready to compete at the highest level again,” said Semikawa.
 
Leading fourth round scores
*All Japanese unless indicated otherwise
272  – Taiga Semikawa 68-69-69-66, Mikumu Horikawa 67-73-65-67
*Semikawa defeated Horikawa at the first playoff hole with a birdie
274 – Kota Kaneko 72-67-68-67, Ren Yonezawa 67-67-71-69,
275 – Yuki Inamori 68-68-70-69
277 – Mikiya Akutsu 71-70-70-66, Aguri Iwasaki 70-71-69-67, Kosuke Suzuki 70-71-69-67, Ryunosuke Furukawa 71-68-70-68, Takashi Ogiso 65-75-68-69
 
Ends.