It's as easy as ABC for Katayama

BY Bruce Young | Japan Tour | 2005 ABC Championship | Wrap | 30 Oct 2005

Shingo Katayama made it two from three on the Japan Golf Tour when he broke free of a congested leaderboard to win the ABC Championship near Osaka by two over Fijian Dinesh Chand.

Four players shared the lead as the leaders played the 8th hole today and three were still leading as the last group playing the 11th, but the class and experience of Katayama showed over the closing holes. Three birdies in the last six holes saw him slip clear of the chasing pack with Chand’s eagle at the last perhaps making the finish appear closer than it actually was.

For Katayama, who won the Japan Open two weeks ago and was disqualified from last week’s event, it is his eighteenth win on the Japan Golf Tour and he has now moved to number six on the all time money list with close to ¥950 million or US$8.3 million. All those ahead of him on that list are at least 18 years his senior so he is the most successful of the Japan golfers of the last decade or at least of those who play predominantly at home.

Dinesh Chand has had a very good season, more especially over the last three months, and he has moved to 19th on the 2005 money list.

Four players shared third, Daisuke Maruyama, Jun Kukichi, Taiwan’s Keng-Chi Lin and Korean IJ Chang.

The best of the Australians was Scott Laycock, who finished 22nd and Chris Campbell who was 39th. Campbell’s sister Nikki was runner up to Ai Miyazato on the JLPGA event which finished at about the same time.

The Japan Golf Tour now moves to Fukuoka in the southern island of Kyushu for the, wait for it, Asahiryokuken Yomiuri Asoiizuka Memorial Open.