About the course - PGM Ishioka Golf Club

On the day the highly-rated PGM Ishioka Golf Club made a roaring comeback to the JGTO schedule following a six-year absence, so has veteran Katsumasa Miyamoto.

The 49-year-old Miyamoto, a 12-time JGTO winner, rolled back the years to shoot a glorious eight-under-par 63 to tie for second spot after the opening day of the inaugural ISPS Handa Championship in Japan on Thursday.

Miyamoto had fond memories of playing at this venue as he once came in joint runner-up with the legendary Masashi 'Jumbo' Ozaki after being pipped to the title by Masahiro Kuramoto at the 2003 Acom International.

The now-defunct Acom International was hosted at the PGM Ishioka Golf Club from 1999 to 2006, and Miyamoto did not miss a cut in all his seven appearances from 2000-to 2006. 

And now that the renowned Jack Nicklaus-designed course is back on Tour, it has once again brought the best in Miyamoto after he fired nine birdies to offset a lone bogey to put himself in contention for his first victory since The Crowns triumph in 2019.

Also enjoying a good day out were two other JGTO icons, Yuta Ikeda and Shingo Katayama, who posted matching 65s to be joint 11th and three shots off the pace.

Ikeda holds the distinction of being the last person to win at this venue when it hosted the Homa Tour World Cup in 2016, while Katayama came in joint-third that year. 

Touted as a highly strategic course engulfed in the beauty of nature, even Nicklaus was so proud of his own masterpiece that he regarded PGM Ishioka Golf Club as "the best golf course I know of in Japan."

The course challenges its players with tight fairways, which are lined by mature trees, requiring them to make full use of all 14 clubs.