Veteran Nakajima claims second victory of 2002
BY Bruce Young | Japan Tour | 2002 Mitsui Sumitomo Visa Taiheiyo Masters | Wrap | 17 Nov 2002
Japan Tour veteran Tommy Nakajima has discovered the touch that made him one of the most feared players in Japanese golf during the eighties and nineties. His win earlier in the season at the Diamond Cup tournament was his first since 1995 and with this victory at the Mitsui Sumitomo Visa Taiheiyo, he has now moved to fourth on this season’s money list.
Nakajima was one of the most successful Japanese players internationally. Whilst he did not win outside of Japan he produced top tens in all four majors at various stages and as such, became one of the first Japanese golfers, Aoki aside, to challenge international golf. He was worshipped at home during that time and at the age of 47 he may well be eyeing the Champions Tour as a likely option in the future. Clearly however he still has some unfinished business on the regular tour.
Nakajima held off Hidemichi Tanaka to collect the first prize of 30,000,000 yen or (A$460,000) with Aaron Baddeley producing an eagle at the par five eighteenth to grab third ahead of Justin Rose and Shingo Katayama. Baddeley will collect a cheque for the equivalent of $A150,000 which is likely his biggest cheque since his win at the Greg Norman event some twenty months ago.
Scott Laycock and Brendan Jones tied for seventh after Jones had led for the first two rounds, David Smail was 26th, Anthony Gilligan was 43rd and Richard Backwell 54th.
The Japan Tour now heads to Miyazaki on the southern island of Kyushu for this week’s Dunlop Phoenix tournament where Tiger Woods tees it up, no doubt creating a frenzy in Japan.
