Hiratsuka caps consistent year with win at Golf Nippon Series JT Cup
BY Bruce Young | Japan Tour | 2003 Golf Nippon Series JT Cup | Wrap | 08 Dec 2003
The final event of the 2003 season in Japan has been “run and won”, with Tetsuji Hiratsuka the winner of the Golf Nippon Series JT Cup, at the Tokyo Yomiuri course, which is essentially their Tour Championship.
For Hiratsuka, this was his first win of the season but his 14th top ten in a year that must see him take the reward for consistency. In fact this was his 11th top five, an extraordinary performance by any measure.
He has finished the year with 112 million yen and in second place on the 2003 money list as the season comes to a close. He actually finished first on the money list for money won only in Japan and not counting World Golf Championship and Major money but with that included, then Toshi Izawa has finished atop the money list.
Hiratsuka led after the opening day when he shared the lead after round one with Izawa, David Smail and Hiroyuki Fujita but fell behind after day two, trailing Taichi Teshima by three at that point.
His third round of 63 would see him enter the final round three ahead of Izawa and it was all over as he put together a last round 67 to ensure no one would catch him.
Izawa finished second three behind with Fujita third and last year’s runner up, David Smail, in fourth place.
The leading Australian was Steve Conran who was tied in sixth place with Brendan Jones 16th and Paul Sheehan 22nd in the 25 man field. Conran will earn around $A45,000.
Brendan Jones has finished in 6th place on the 2003 money list with nearly 80 million yen and is the leading Australasian with David Smail 18th, Paul Sheehan 20th and Steve Conran 22nd.
