Taiga Nagano overcame a nervy start before producing a brilliant finish, firing three birdies in his last six holes to win the LOPIA Fujisankei Classic by one shot on Sunday.
The 22-year-old clinched his maiden Japan Golf Tour Organization (JGTO) victory after closing with a two-under-par 68 for a winning total of 10-under-par 200 at the 54-hole tournament.
Inclement weather forced the cancellation of the second round, with the tournament subsequently shortened to three rounds.
Yuta Sugiura posted a 63 to finish outright second with his 201 total, while Taiga Semikawa was a further stroke back in third after a final round 68 at Fujizakura Country Club.
Nagano started the decisive round tied for the overnight lead but stumbled early with back-to-back bogeys on holes two and three after an opening par.
He steadied himself with four straight pars before picking up a birdie on the eighth to make the turn in 37.
The back nine proved decisive. Nagano parred the first three holes after the turn before back-to-back birdies on 13 and 14 pulled him back into contention.
A crucial birdie on the 16th ultimately sealed his entry into the winner’s circle for the first time.
“After the bogeys on two and three, I thought it might be tough, especially with Semikawa pulling away early. But around the seventh hole, I saw he had dropped shots, so I told my caddie, ‘Let’s fight back from here.’ From there, I managed to reset myself and stay patient,” said Nagano.
“Honestly, I was really nervous, especially after recalling the regrets I carried from the Japan Players Championship two years ago. I was leading after the second and third round and ended up finishing second. This time, instead of bottling it up, I joked with my caddie and laughed it off, which helped me stay calm,” added Nagano.
Leading third and final round scores
*All Japanese unless indicated otherwise
200 –Taiga Nagano 65-67-68
201 – Yuta Sugiura 68-70-63
202 – Taiga Semikawa 65-69-68
205 – Mikiya Akutsu 67-70-68, Kohei Okada 66-66-73
