Daisuke Maruyama finally claims Japan Tour victory
BY Bruce Young | Japan Tour | 2005 Fujisankei Classic | Wrap | 04 Sep 2005
One hundred and twenty three starts and twenty six top tens after playing his first Japan Golf Tour event in 1996, 34-year-old Daisuke Maruyama has finally won his first Japan Golf Tour event with a comprehensive seven shot victory at the Fujisankei Classic.
Already with four top tens in 2005, Maruyama may well have reached the point were he was wondering if his maiden win would ever happen. Just four starts ago at the Aiful Cup, Maruyama had led early in the event only to collapse over the weekend to finish 58th. This week however, on the new venue for the time honoured Fujisankei Classic, Maruyama took the lead in round one and although headed briefly in round two, he bounced back on Saturday to take a seven shot lead into day four.
With a seven shot lead over Korean Ik-Je Chang, Maruyama made virtually no mistakes today, placing all the pressure on his chasers to try and catch him. They were unable to do so and he cruised to a seven shot win over Shingo Katayama, with Jong-Duk Kim and Azuma Yano finishing third, one shot further back.
Craig Jones was the best of the Australasians, sharing 5th place. Jones’ triple bogey at the 5th today, put paid to any chance he may have had of challenging for higher honours. Still for Jones who hails from Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, it was yet another good week and has moved him to 31st on the 2005 money list in Japan.
Defending champion Paul Sheehan was 11th, with New Zealander David Smail being forced to withdraw after opening rounds of 72 and 67.
