Bae wins Japan Open Basic finishes 4th
BY Bruce Young | Japan Tour | 2011 Japan Open | Wrap | 16 Oct 2011
Sang Moon Bae has added yet another significant title to his ever growing list with a playoff victory over Kenichi Kuboya at the Japan Open Golf Championship at the Takanodai Golf Club in Chiba Prefecture.
For Bae it was his third win of the Japan Tour season and extends his already significant lead on the money list. In addition to his 3 victories Bae has been runner-up twice and once third so his consistency has also been a feature of his great year to date. With several big, end of season events still to come, Bae could add further to his already substantial lead.
Bae will also now move inside the world top fifty from his current 56th, opening up several opportunities for the 23 year old internationally.
Bae started the final round four shots behind the leader Nobuhito Sato but by his 9th hole he had closed within one. When Sato double bogeyed the 10th and Bae bogeyed that same hole, four players, Bae, Sato, Kenichi Kuboya and Australian rookie Neven Basic shared the lead at 2 under.
As Basic began to drop shots in the middle of his round (he dropped four in the space on six holes) his brave challenge had been extinguished and he would eventually finish fourth.
The battle then developed into a three way affair between Bae, Kuboya and Sato. After falling one behind when he bogeyed the 12th, Bae came charging back with an eagle at the 15th and grabbed the lead. He would bogey the 16th however and when Sato bogeyed the 17th, Bae and Kuboya had the led at 2 under by one over Sato.
None were able to birdie the 18th and so after waiting for Sato to finish, Bae and Kuboya entered the playoff where Bae won with a par at the first extra hole.
Sato finished alone in third position while the 33 year old Basic, in his first season on the Japan Golf Tour, finished 4th and secured a cheque big enough ($A125,000 equiv) to guarantee his place on the Japan Golf Tour next season. He moves to 36th position on the money list and importantly should now gain access to the lucrative end of season events.
In such a significant event, Basic did remarkably well for one of his relative inexperience to stay in touch as long as he did and, despite the disappointment of missing an opportunity, he will likely be delighted with what he achieved long term today.
Former winner Paul Sheehan produced a strong final round of 70 to finish in a share of 9th, Brendan Jones was 22nd, Steve Conran 25th and Brad Kennedy 52nd and Chris Campbell 62nd.
The Japan Golf Tour stays in Chiba for this week’s Bridgestone Championship.
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