JGTO stalwarts spread their wings abroad

Following a highly successful campaign on the JGTO this year, high-fliers such as Keita Nakajima are poised to expand their horizons abroad in 2024.

This opportunity arises from the strategic alliance established between the JGTO and the DP World Tour last year.

The alliance rewards the top three money leaders from the JGTO with membership on the European circuit, a benefit that kicked in starting in 2023.

As the JGTO Prize Money King, Nakajima secured a Category 17 membership, while Semikawa and Kanaya, who secured second and third places respectively, will gain access to the DP World Tour through Category 18 membership.

Kazuki Higa, Rikuya Hoshino, and Aguri Iwasaki were the initial beneficiaries of this agreement.

Despite having conditional status, they managed to participate in no fewer than 15 DP World Tour tournaments throughout the season.

Among them, Hoshino particularly stood out by finishing 81st in the season-long Race to Dubai points race, ensuring he retained a full status by virtue of being among the top 116 finishers.

Armed with experience gained from his rookie season, a more settled Hoshino commenced the new DP World Tour season with considerable momentum.

He showcased his prowess by claiming a second runner-up finish in as many starts at the ISPS HANDA Australian Open, narrowly missing the title to Chile's Joaquin Niemann last month.

In the preceding week, Hoshino also made an impressive showing, securing second place at the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship.

These exceptional performances by Hoshino undoubtedly set the tone for the burgeoning Japanese contingent, as they aim to showcase their capabilities on the international stage.

Nakajima, Semikawa, and Kanaya are not the only latest additions as Satoshi Kodaira has also accepted membership, thanks to the strategic alliance between the DP World Tour and PGA Tour.

Kodaira opted to take up the offer after losing his full PGA Tour status due to finishing outside the top 125 in the FedExCup rankings this season.

Although Kodaira attempted to regain his full playing privileges through the PGA Tour Q-School, which concluded on Monday, he fell short of securing one of the five cards, finishing in an agonising sixth place.

This brings the total number of Japanese players holding status on the DP World Tour to eight. The other three include Ryo Hisatsune, Masahiro Kawamura, and Higa.

Hisatsune, who earned qualification for the European circuit through its Q-School, had an impressive rookie season.

He secured victory at the French Open in September and achieved eight top-10 finishes, ultimately concluding the season in a commendable 17th position on the Race to Dubai standings.

The triumph at the French Open marked Hisatsune as only the third Japanese golfer to win on the DP World Tour, following in the footsteps of the legendary Isao Aoki (1983 European Open) and Hideki Matsuyama (2016 WGC-HSBC Champions).

Additionally, Hisatsune was honoured as the DP World Tour Rookie of the Year and secured one of the 10 berths to the PGA Tour by virtue of being among the leading 10 finishers not otherwise exempt on the Race to Dubai.

On the other hand, one-time JGTO winner Kawamura has solidified his presence as a Japanese mainstay on the DP World Tour, entering his sixth consecutive season.

Kawamura has three-time runner-up finishes to his name.

Higa did not have the best debut on the DP World Tour, finishing 120th on the Race to Dubai and narrowly missing full status by four spots.

However, there is still hope for him as he can secure some starts under Category 19.

Semikawa, who edged out Kanaya for second place in the final JGTO Money Rankings, courtesy of his Golf Nippon Series JT Cup triumph, remains determined to challenge for more domestic honours even as he sets his sights on gaining more experience abroad.

Semikawa expressed his desire to give the Prize Money King another shot and intends to strike a balance between the two tours.

"The appeal of the Prize Money King title is undeniable and I want to fight for it next year. Throughout history, players such as (Ryo) Ishikawa-san, Matsuyama-san, and this year's Nakajima-san have all pursued this prestigious achievement. Amidst fierce competition with highly renowned players, my unwavering desire to eventually claim the title remains unchanged," said Semikawa.

"Competing on multiple circuits concurrently may be challenging. But I would also like to challenge myself and see how I can perform outside Japan.”

Ends.