Hirata fights back to become youngest-ever winner of Japan PGA Championship

Kensei Hirata weathered a mid-round meltdown to shoot a final round one-under-par 71, clinching a two-shot wire-to-wire victory at the Japan PGA Championship in Hokkaido on Sunday.

Osaka-born Hirata started the day a stroke clear of Kunihiro Kamii, swiftly extending his lead to two by birdieing his very first hole at the Eniwa Country Club.

However, by the end of the first nine holes, Hirata found himself two shots behind his playing partner, Kamii. This came after the Gateway to the Open Mizuno Open champion unexpectedly squandered three bogeys in a mere four holes starting from number six.

But having the experience of a tournament winner undeniably assisted Hirata. He recovered superbly with birdies on holes number 12, 14, 15, and 17 to restore a three-shot lead.

He could afford a bogey on the final hole and finished two shots ahead of heavyweights Taiga Semikawa and Takumi Kanaya, with a four-day total of 11-under-par 277.

With this achievement, Hirata has become the youngest-ever winner of the Japan PGA Championship since the JGTO was founded in 1973 - at 22 years, eight months, and four days. He surpassed South Korea's S.H. Kim's record, who won the 2021 edition at 22 years, nine months, and 17 days.

"I've been playing well since the first day, and achieving my second win of the year has brought immense joy. This victory is extra special as it's in a major tournament," said Hirata, whose victory today also earned him the distinction of being the first multiple-winner of the season

"I had a good start on the first hole, but the continuous pars and not having a good touch, such as having six consecutive three-putts, were tough. However, I was able to recover in the second half, so I kept playing without giving up today."

Asked what inspired the fightback, he said: "Nothing changed, but I did feel a shift in my mindset to get back to double digits after the birdie on the 12th hole.

"I realised I was back leading at the start of the 15th hole, but there were still tough holes to come, so I was thinking of extending my lead to win. I'm so glad that everything turned out well."

The win propels Hirata to third in the JGTO money list, with a season tally of ¥54,001,423, behind first-ranked Kanaya (¥70,777,333) and second-ranked Keita Nakajima (¥68,060,019).

Despite missing out on his second straight major title this season, BMW Japan Golf Tour Championship Mori Building Cup winner in June, Kanaya has no complaints about his joint runner-up finish.

After a disastrous opening 75, Kanaya fought back fiercely with a pair of 68s and a 66 to put himself back in contention. However, he could only manage to close with a 70, trading four birdies against two bogeys.

Kanaya commended Hirata's effort, stating he was a deserving winner.

"Today, I wasn't able to push myself in the second half as much as I'd like to, but Hirata's play was wonderful. I witnessed his spirited play until the end; he deserved to win," said Kanaya.

"I didn't have a good first day this week, but I gradually improved and eventually finished well. I want to carry this momentum into the next tournament.

"In every major tournament, the conditions are always challenging, and the attention is higher compared to regular tournaments. My sights are now set on the Japan Open."

South Korea's Ryu Hyun-woo, who shot a 70, emerged as the best international placer this week, finishing solo fourth on eight-under-par 280.

Leading final round scores:

277: Kensei Hirata 68-69-69-71;

279: Taiga Semikawa 70-71-70-68, Takumi Kanaya 75-68-66-70;

280: Ryu Hyun-woo (Kor) 70-75-65-70;

281: Tomohiro Ishizaka 69-71-74-67, Ryo Ishikawa 68-73-71-69, Keita Nakajima 71-72-68-70, Hwang Jung-gon (Kor) 68-71-71-71;

282: Yuki Inamori 72-70-69-71, Kunihiro Kamii 69-71-67-75;

283: Song Young-han (Kor) 71-71-73-68;

285: Anthony Quayle (Aus) 76-69-72-68, Ryosuke Kinoshita 71-71-73-70, Tatsunori Shogenji 74-72-69-70, Yosuke Tsukada 73-69-72-71, Shiso Go 72-70-71-72, Brad Kennedy (Aus) 68-71-72-74.