Maruyama takes Panasonic Open
BY Bruce Young | Japan Tour | 2009 Asia-Pacific Panasonic Open | Round Four | 27 Sep 2009
38-year-old Japanese golfer Daisuke Maruyama took control of the Asia Pacific Panasonic Open in Kyoto midway through the second round this week and from there on he hardly gave any other player a look in.
Maruyama, who played the PGA Tour for two years in 2006 and 2007, went on to win his second Japan Golf Tour event and continue a fine run of form in recent weeks. In his second to last start Maruyama finished runner up to Ryo Ishikawa, albeit five shots behind the teenage superstar at the Fujisankei Classic and in his last start he finished 8th at last week’s ANA Open.
Four dropped shots late in last week’s event cost Maruyama a much better finish but while he would also struggle today so were those chasing him. Hot swirling winds and tough flag positions made good scoring difficult, his round of 74 was good enough to maintain the four shot advantage. He ran out the winner by that margin over Yuta Ikeda, Korea’s Kim Kyung-tae and China’s Liang Wen-chong.
Currently ranked 302nd in the world, Maruyama now has full exemption on both the Japan and Asian Golf Tour for the next two years, this event being co sanctioned between both Tours. He moves to 6th on the Japan Golf Tour money list.
Joint runner-up, Kim, in his second season on the Japan Golf Tour, also finished joint runner up last week at the ANA Open.
Ikeda’s share of second continues a brilliant season in Japan during which he has won twice and currently lies in second position on the money list behind only Ryo Ishikawa.
Liang Wen-chong finished third in this event last year and although he has not had a good season of late, his share of second may be just the boost he needs. After finishing third in this event last year he went on to win the Hero Honda Indian Open.
Korean born and now Singapore-based Unho Park was the leading Australian finishing in a share of 7th, Scott Hend produced one of the better final rounds (70) and finished in a share of 9th, Paul Sheehan was 20th, Matt Griffin and Marcus Both 26th, Andrew Dodt 32nd, Rick Kulacz 39th, Terry Pilkadaris 51st, David Smail 55th, Mitchell Brown 57th and Gavin Flint 60th.
The Japan Golf Tour will now play the Coca Cola Tokai Classic in Nagoya while the Asian Tour plays the Mercurie Taiwan Masters.
