Tokai Classic gets a result despite Typhoon Ma-on
BY Bruce Young | Japan Tour | 2004 Coca-Cola Tokai Classic | Wrap | 10 Oct 2004
With Typhoon Ma-on lashing Central Honshu during much of the event, the Coca Cola Tokai Classic was, in the end, fortunate to have been able to get a result at all.
Rounds two was forced to carry over until Saturday morning with the third round not even started later that same day. The tournament was therefore reduced to 54 holes, the second week in a row that has happened on the Japan Golf Tour, with the third and final round played today at the Miyoshi Country Club on the outskirts of Nagoya. This was the 9th typhoon of the season in Japan.
It was 32-year-old Katsunume Imai who outlasted seven time tour winner Kazuhiko Hosokawa in a playoff to win for the second time on the Japan Golf Tour. Imai, who has mixed his form this season, with more cuts missed than made, held off a spirited late challenge by Hosokawa, Imai’s birdie at the last enough to get him into a playoff after falling behind.
Kiyoshi Maita produced two late birdies to finish third, two behind the playoff, with Tatsyuya Mitsuhashi and veteran Tommy Nakajima sharing fourth.
Imai won his first Japan Golf Tour event late in 2003 when taking the Casio World Open near Kagoshima and now moves to 20th on this season’s money list with his victory. His win was officially worth ¥18 million because of the Japan Golf Tour’s policy of officially paying only 75% of the purse in events reduced to 54 holes. He will however still receive the full ¥24 million but the extra ¥6 million does not count towards the money list.
Paul Sheehan was the best of the Australasians after what was rather a bizarre week for him. He shared second place after round one but then was caught in the Typhoon Ma-on build up on day two, recording an 80 to slip well back to 43rd. His last round of 68 however saw him move back inside the top ten, eventually finishing in a share of seventh. It was an impressive bounce back and Sheehan is now fifth on the 2004 Japan Golf Tour money list.
David Smail was 43rd and first round leader Craig Jones, who only just made the cut after a second round of 84, didn’t make any ground in the closing round, eventually finishing 64th. It was a bitter pill to swallow for the Queenslander, who needed a good week here and after his great opening round of 65 looked well placed. He has now slipped four places to 66th on the money list and will struggle to get late season starts.
The Japan Golf Tour now moves further north and west of this week’s venue for the Japan Open which is being held in Ishikawa.
