Korean domination continues in Japan
BY Bruce Young | Japan Tour | 2011 Coca-Cola Tokai Classic | Wrap | 02 Oct 2011
Korea’s Sang-Moon Bae continued his brilliant season on the 2011 Japan Golf Tour with a narrow one shot victory at the Coca Cola Tokai Classic in Nagoya.
Korean golfers have now won six of the last ten tournaments on the 2011 Japan Golf Tour schedule.
The victory over Tadahiro Takayama has moved the 25 year old well clear on the 2011 Japan Golf Tour money list. It was Bae’s second win of the season and along with two runner-up finishes he has become the dominant player on the Japan Golf Tour in what is his second full season in Japan.
Bae fought back from a mid round slump in round four after dropping four shots in the space of five holes before recovering with an eagle at the par five 12th hole to regain the lead he enjoyed leading into the final round.
Takayama appeared to take control of the tournament today when he moved four ahead of Bae during the period when the Korean was struggling but bogeys at his 14th and 18th holes and the recovery by Bae cost him the chance of at least a playoff.
Tomohiro Kondo, Min Gyu Cho and last week’s winner of the Panasonic Open Tetsuji Hiratsuka all had their chances before late bogeys cost them the opportunity to pressure the eventual winner. They finished in a tie for third position.
The leading Australasian was Paul Sheehan who recorded his second best finish on the season when he finished in a share of 9th. A bogey at the last proved costly for the Melbourne based New South Welshman.
New Zealander David Smail, despite a final round of 75, showed glimpses of what will hopefully be better things to come when he finished 13th, while Neven Basic and Steve Conran were 47th.
The Japan Tour now plays the Canon Open in Kanagawa
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