Veteran Nakajima shows the way at Visa Taiheiyo
BY Bruce Young | Japan Tour | 2006 Mitsui Sumitomo Visa Taiheiyo Masters | Wrap | 12 Nov 2006
52-year-old Tommy Nakajima today shocked the golfing world by becoming one of the oldest players to win a regular tour event anywhere when he stormed home over the closing nine holes to claim his first Japan Golf Tour event in four years at the Mitsui Sumitomo Visa Taiheiyo Masters.
Nakajima won his last Japan Golf Tour event at this very tournament in 2002 but today he taught the youngsters a thing or two by winning for the 48th time on the Japan Golf Tour. Nakajima is perhaps best remembered worldwide for a disastrous time he spent in the greenside bunker at the Road Hole at St Andrews in 1978 when he putted into the bunker and then took four more to get out when contending. Nakajima also took 13 at the 13th at Augusta at the Masters.
It is perhaps unfortunate that these mishaps tarred his reputation to some extent as he is an outstanding golfing talent and is one of Japan’s most successful golfers internationally having recorded top tens in all four major championships.
Starting the final round today six shots behind Makoto Inoue, who had won only once on the JGT at the ABC Championship in 2004, Nakajima was all but faultless as he moved past several of this season’s most in form players to grab the title.
Toru Taniguchi finished second after birdies at the last two holes while Shingo Katayama, Keiichiro Fukabori and Inoue tied for third. Inoue bogeyed the last two holes, the last of which is the reachable par five 18th, and slipped to third.
The surprise of the day was the disastrous round of 77 recorded by Sergio Garcia, who dropped from being very much in contention to finishing in 19th place.
The best of the Australasians was Craig Jones whose 8th place finish moved him to 72nd on the money list with two events left for him to play and leaves him well placed to retain full privileges for 2007 in Japan. Jones will play in this week’s Dunlop Phoenix in Japan.
David Smail was 24th, Won Joon Lee, in his very first event as a professional, was 28th, Scott Laycock 36th, Brendan Jones 42nd, Wayne Perske 44th and Steve Conran 56th.
The Japan Golf Tour now heads south to Miyazaki on the east coast of Kyushu for the Dunlop Phoenix event where Tiger Woods will once again defend a title he has won in the last two years.
