Last-minute entrant Hoshino impresses with top 10 finish in UAE

JGTO star Rikuya Hoshino saved the best for last as he eagled the 18th hole en route to finishing a creditable tied sixth place at the DP World Tour's Ras Al Khaimah Championship in the United Arab Emirates.

With a scorecard containing also four birdies and three bogeys, Hoshino closed with a three-under-par 69 at the Al Hamra Golf Club to finish the week on 14-under 274, three shots behind winner Daniel Gavins of England.

Hoshino had opened the week with a 70 before backing it up with a pair of 67 and 68 on the second and third day respectively.

His decent effort earned him a start through Category 7 (players qualifying through the Top 5 or Top 10 Regulation from the previous 2023 Race to Dubai Ranking Tournament) in the next DP World Tour stop - the Singapore Classic which begins on Thursday.

As one of the top three finishers of last season's JGTO Money Rankings, Hoshino has been rewarded with a DP World Tour membership along with prize money king Kazuki Higa and Aguri Iwasaki.

But they hold just conditional status which does not guarantee them a start in most tournaments.

In the case of the Ras Al Khaimah Championship, Hoshino and Iwasaki only made the field in the eleventh hour thanks to the late withdrawal of several players.

Both Higa and Iwasaki also did well to see the weekend action.

Higa carded rounds of 67, 74, 68 and 73 to compile a six-under 282 total for joint 36th while Iwasaki registered 74, 68, 72 and 73 to sit in a four-way tie for 61st on 287.

Meanwhile, South Africa's Jbe Kruger had impressed at the Asian Tour's Saudi International with a tied 12th finish, followed by Jinichiro Kozuma (T18).

The other JGTO members featured in the weekend rounds were Takumi Kanaya (T35) and Zimbabwe's Scott Vincent (T42).