Iwasaki breaks into winner's circle with Japan Open win

Third-year professional, Aguri Iwasaki, secured his maiden JGTO title, a major one, with a two-shot victory over Ryo Ishikawa at the Japan Open Golf Championship on Sunday.

The 25-year-old Iwasaki, who began the final round three shots off the lead, carded a five-under-par 65 after mixing six birdies with a bogey to finish with an aggregate of eight-under 272.

This victory provided a much-needed boost after he struggled throughout the entire season, both abroad and domestically.

Ishikawa finished alone in second place after shooting a 68 at the Ibaraki Country Club. This marks his third runner-up position, following the 2008 and 2009 editions.

The penultimate round leader, Sejung Hiramoto, could only manage a 73, settling for a five-way tie for third on 277 including Australian veteran Brad Kennedy (69) and joint first-round leader Mikumu Horikawa (68).

Perseverance indeed paid off for Iwasaki, as this win is sure to rejuvenate his lacklustre season.

Iwasaki ventured to Europe to participate in the DP World Tour, a position he achieved through a conditional status earned by his third-place finish in the JGTO money rankings the previous year.

However, his performance there was disappointing, making the cut in only three out of 15 appearances.

Back home, Iwasaki's struggles continued.

In the last nine starts before today's victory, he qualified for the weekend in just four events, with a tied-18th at the season-opening Token Homemate Cup being his best finish.

"Initially, the victory felt surreal. I've been overwhelmed by the outpouring of congratulatory messages. It's truly the most joyous occasion of my life," said Iwasaki, after pocketing ¥42,000,000 jackpot for his effort.

"Starting the day three shots back, I knew I had to bring my A-game.

"Throughout the back nine, my focus wasn’t on the win but on each upcoming shot. I navigated the challenging conditions without letting the pressure weigh me down."

Iwasaki said he won't be returning to Europe and will be switching his full attention to JGTO now instead.

"I only made it past the qualifiers in 4 tournaments in Europe. It was tough, but I believe I did my best.

"I won't be playing in Europe anymore for the remainder of the season, so I'll be back on the JGTO. I'll work hard and try rank as high as possible in the prize money list."

Ishikawa was delighted with how the week panned out for him.

He picked up a seizable runner-up cheque of ¥23,100,000 to charge up to No. 7 on the money list, securing him a start in next week's PGA Tour's ZOZO Championship.

"I think my overall golf performance is improving. In this setting, rather than just scraping by with some luck, I was able to hit fairways consistently, and make greens in regulation over the four days," said Ishikawa.

"It was an enjoyable four days. I want to say thank you to all the people in Osaka for making it so delightful. I'm grateful for the high-spirited crowd."

The 49-year-old Kennedy couldn't have chosen a better tournament to showcase his return to form.

Kennedy birdied three of his last five holes, finishing as the top non-Japanese competitor this week.

This impressive performance earned him ¥9,828,000 — more than he accumulated from his previous 13 starts.

This proves crucial as he is now poised to retain his Tour card for the next season, having broken into the top-65 on the money list. He currently ranks at No. 39 with earnings of ¥18,547,795.

Hiramoto wasn't disheartened, even though he missed out on what could have been a career-defining victory.

His downfall began when he bogeyed four of his first five holes on the back nine, leading him to slide down the leaderboard.

Yet, his joint third-place finish stands as his best performance on the JGTO to date, pushing him to No. 48 in the prize money standings — a position crucial for securing a Tour card next year.

"Having been in the lead yesterday, I certainly had my sights set on winning. That was my main objective. While I haven't secured a full seed for this year, and even if it's not confirmed now, I feel this event has brought me one step closer," he commented.

Leading final round scores:

272: Aguri Iwasaki 68-72-67-65;

274: Ryo Ishikawa 68-69-69-68;

277: Mikumu Horikawa 66-72-71-68, Brad Kennedy (Aus) 68-69-71-69, Kota Kaneko 67-70-70-70, Takahiro Hataji 70-67-69-71, Sejung Hiramoto 70-69-65-73;

278: Kensei Hirata 69-70-69-70, Shaun Norris (Rsa) 72-66-68-72;

279: Taiki Yoshida 74-65-70-70, Jinichiro Kozuma 72-70-67-70, Keita Nakajima 67-69-72-71, Taichi Nabetani 71-69-68-71, Ryosuke Kinoshita 71-70-67-71, Naoyuki Kataoka 69-71-66-73, Tomoharu Otsuki 69-69-67-74.