Hoshino upstages top players at Chunichi Crowns
IN: News | Japan | Chunichi Crowns (2003) | Wrap | by Bruce Young | 04 May 2003
In his third full season on the Japan Golf Tour and with little success to date, Hidemasa Hoshino today won one of the more significant tournaments on the JGT calendar when he took out the Chunichi Crowns today near Nagoya.
Hoshino handled the back nine of the Nagoya Golf Club's Wago course with the aplomb of a player with much more experience as he came from behind to win his first event on the JGT. Hoshino had started the last round one behind Hiroyuki Fujita and Taichi Teshima and by the time he had reached the sixth hole he was ahead with a lead he would not let go. His victory margin was by three over Toshi Izawa, Myanmar's Zaw Moe and Teshima.
Hoshino's win was worth 24 million yen or $A320,000 and now takes him top the top of this 2003 money list. He had finished 16th last week at the Tsuruya Open. His previous best performance since joining the tour in 2001 was a fifth placing at last year's Fujisankei Classic.
Paul Sheehan and Steve Conran were the best of the Australasians finishing in a tie for eighth. For Sheehan, who is in his first full year in Japan, this is his best finish and the cheque for $A45,000 is likely the biggest cheque in his golf career to date. He is off to a very good start in 2003 having made all four cuts this season and along with his 15th place last week it appears he may have found a happy hunting ground in Japan.
Brendan Jones was 15th, Andre Stolz 46th and Richard Lee 58th. Stolz is now second on the money list some 3 million yen behind Hoshino. Lee's opening round must go down as one of the strangest in his career. A quadruple bogey at this third hole was the forerunner to a stretch through the middle of his round where he produced seven birdies in nine holes. Coming after the earlier setback it was quite some rebound.
