Asian Tour: Shugo Imahira earns place at British Open with Diamond Cup victory
- Imahira started the day one behind overnight leaders Kaito Onishi, Yuto Katsuragawa and Ryuko Tokimatsu, but eight pars and a birdie see him home
- ‘I am really happy with this victory,’ the 29-year-old says. ‘I haven’t really performed well this year, so I’m glad I am able to win early’
Japan’s Shugo Imahira secured a place in the 150th British Open at St Andrews later this year after claiming the Asia-Pacific Open Golf Championship Diamond Cup at Oarai Golf Club.
In a photo finish to the tournament, Imahira prevailed by one shot on eight under thanks to a rock-solid finish of pars down the closing stretch, while his rivals were dropping shots.
He closed with a two-under-par 68 with his compatriots Kosuke Suzuki, an amateur, Hiroshi Iwata, Kaito Onishi and Yuto Katsuragawa all in second place.
Suzuki came charging out of the pack with a 63 – thanks to a brilliant back nine of five-under-par 30 – Iwata shot 68, while Onishi, who chipped in for birdie on 18, and Katsuragawa both carded 70s.
The 29-year-old started the day one behind overnight leaders Onishi, Katsuragawa, Japan’s Ryuko Tokimatsu and New Zealander Ben Campbell but finished first, helped by a brave back nine made up of eight pars and a birdie, on the par-five 15th.
“I am really happy with this victory. I haven’t really performed well this year, so I’m glad I am able to win early,” said Imahira, who won the JGTO money list title in 2018 and 2019 and whose last victory was the 2021 Fujisankei Classic.