Winner report
Hosono wins the Japan Open by two and earns a Masters invitation
Yusaku Hosono beat Yusuke Sakamoto by two shots at Tarao Country Club after Shugo Imahira went out in 40. The title carries places in next year's Masters and Open.
Seven holes into the final round of the Japan Open, Yusaku Hosono led Shugo Imahira by seven shots. The two had started the final round one apart in the last pairing, but Imahira, the 2024 champion, bogeyed the 1st, 2nd and 5th and made a double bogey on the 7th. He went out in 40 and finished with a 74.
Hosono played the front nine in 33 and won by two shots on −13 at Tarao Country Club’s West Course in Koka, Shiga. He reached −16 with birdies on the 11th and 12th, then dropped shots at the 14th, 17th and 18th for a level-par 70 and a total of 267. First prize was ¥42 million from a ¥210 million purse.
Yusuke Sakamoto, one of five players among the 64 who made the cut to break the par of 70 on Sunday, came from five behind with a 67 to take second on −11. He birdied the 16th and bogeyed the last. Sanghee Lee of South Korea shot 66 to tie for third with Imahira on −8.
The Japan Golf Association says the winner earns places in next year’s Masters and Open Championship. It is Hosono’s second title of the season. In May he won the Japan PGA Championship, his first win on the Japan Golf Tour, and he arrived at Tarao leading the tour’s points ranking.
In comments published by the Japan Golf Association on Saturday night, he called his one-shot lead over Imahira “almost the same as being tied”. “Shugo is very strong in a contest,” he said.
Ryuichi Oiwa, who opened with a 62, tied for sixth. Kazuma Kobori, the New Zealander who plays mainly on the DP World Tour, shot 76 in the third round and finished in a tie for 14th.
Final leaderboard
| Pos | Player | Rounds | Score | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yusaku Hosono (JPN) | 65-64-68-70 | −13 | ¥42,000,000 |
| 2 | Yusuke Sakamoto (JPN) | 66-68-68-67 | −11 | ¥23,100,000 |
| T3 | Sanghee Lee (KOR) | 68-70-68-66 | −8 | ¥13,335,000 |
| T3 | Shugo Imahira (JPN) | 68-64-66-74 | −8 | ¥13,335,000 |
| 5 | Kohei Okada (JPN) | 68-68-67-71 | −6 | ¥8,820,000 |
| T6 | Ryuichi Oiwa (JPN) | 62-68-73-72 | −5 | ¥6,825,000 |
| T6 | Sejung Hiramoto (JPN) | 67-67-68-73 | −5 | ¥6,825,000 |
| T8 | Justin De Los Santos (PHI) | 66-68-69-73 | −4 | ¥5,040,000 |
| T8 | Tomoyo Ikemura (JPN) | 66-68-68-74 | −4 | ¥5,040,000 |
| T10 | Hiroki Abe (JPN) | 70-70-68-69 | −3 | ¥3,832,500 |
| T10 | Kazuki Yasumori (JPN) | 70-69-67-71 | −3 | ¥3,832,500 |
The Japan Golf Tour moves on to the Fortinet Players Cup in Chiba, which finishes on 25 October.
Sources
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