Australians go close at Token Homemate
BY Bruce Young | Japan Tour | 2009 Token Homemate Cup | Round Four | 19 Apr 2009
30-year-old Koumei Oda has defeated 47-year-old Korean Jong-Duck Kim at the second hole of a playoff to win the opening event of the 2009 Japan Golf Tour season, the Token Homemate Cup in Nagoya.
For Oda it was his second Japan Golf Tour victory following his victory at the Casio World Open late last year while for the veteran Kim he was looking for his 5th win in Japan.
Both players were through the green at the second extra hole but it was Oda who recovered best for his par and the title. Despite his round of 68, Oda struggled for much of the day from tee to green but managed to get up and down on numerous occasions and then capitalise on the chances he gave himself.
23-year-old Yuta Ikeda, in just his second season on the Japan Golf Tour, put together a barnstorming round of 65 to jump from 25th overnight to finish in a share of third place with Australian Steve Conran who recovered from an early bogey to finish with 68.
Conran continues to go quietly about his business and this is an event that has been good to him. He has now finished third in an amazing four of his last five visits to this event.
Brendan Jones, Craig Parry and Shigeki Maruyama finished just two behind the lead in a share of 5th with Parry bouncing back from a late third round stumble to finish with 66.
Jones, who shared the lead into the final round, took a two shot lead when he birdied the opening two holes but in his own words he butchered his chance to win.
“My game was great from tee to green and lead those stats all week but as we know things don’t work like that,” said Jones. “I putted as poorly as I could and still finished 5th so there were a lot of positives to come out of it.”
Wayne Perske finished 45th and Eddie Lee 54th.
The Japan Golf Tour now heads to the Tsuruya Open near Osaka.
