Kawano's first Japan Tour win a big one
BY Bruce Young | Japan Tour | 2011 mynavi ABC Championship | Wrap | 30 Oct 2011
Koichiro Kawano has survived a playoff against the hottest player on the Japan Golf Tour in 2011, Sang Bae Moon, to win the Mynavi ABC Championship at the ABC Golf Club in Hyogo Prefecture.
For the 30 year old Kawano it was his first win on the Japan Golf Tour but he was forced to tackle the three time winner this season in extra time after his eagle at the 72nd hole allowed him to catch Bae who had completed his final round of 64, forty minutes earlier.
Bae could be considered a little unlucky as included in his final round of 64 were two bogeys but nothing can be taken from the winner who received a hefty first place cheque of ￥30,000,000.
Bae might well have felt the tournament was his as he waited with a two shot lead as Kawano played his final hole.
Bae might have missed out on the first prize but his runner-up finish and the 15 million yen have taken him even further ahead of the 2011 money list. He now holds a commanding ¥60 million yen over Ryo Ishikawa on the 2011 money list.
Hiroyuki Fujita and Koumei Oda shared third position just one behind the playoff.
It was not a good week for the Australians with only David Smail (48th) Brendan Jones (57th) and Paul Sheehan (61st) making it to the weekend.
The Japan Golf Tour now has a one week break before the Mitsui Sumitomo Visa Taiheiyo event.
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