Shinhan Donghae Open Rewind: Koh denies Phachara as Nakajima emerges as the highest-placed Japanese

JGTO players will be up against an international field at this week’s Shinhan Donghae Open held at Ocean Course at Club 72 in Incheon, Korea. The 40^th edition of the Shanhan Donghae Open is tri-sanctioned by the JGTO, Asian Tour and Korea Professional Golfers' Association (KPGA) and boasts a lucrative prize purse of ¥ 150,780,000 with the winner’s cheque worth ¥ 27,140,400.
 
Ryo Ishikawa, who won the Japan Players’ Championship in June, for his 19^th win on the Japan Golf Tour and first in two years, is expected to spearhead the Japanese challenge along with 2022 Money List champion and 2022 Shinhan Donghae Open champion Kazuki Higa as well as in-form Kensei Hirata, who apart from winning last week’s weather-shortened Fujisankei Classic, has also posted four other top 10s this season.
 
Since the Shinhan Donghae Open was launched in 1981 only three players- Sangmoon Bae, KJ Choi, and Changsang Han - have successfully defended the title. As we await to see if Koh Gun-taek can become the fourth player to do so, we look back at the final round of the event last year where the South Korean pipped Thailand’s Phachara Khongwatmai at the first playoff hole with a birdie to emerge victorious. 
 
Reflections of 2023 final round
Koh, joint overnight leader with Canadian Richard T Lee, had closed with a four-under-par 68, after he matched the clubhouse total of 19-under-par set by Phachara – who, playing in seventh from last group out and starting the day five off the lead - shot a remarkable 63.
 
The Korean had to birdie the par-five 18th to catch his Thai opponent in regulation play, after hitting a brilliant third shot to three feet, and he then proceeded to make four again in the playoff, holing a 10-footer.
 
Remarkably, he hit his fourth to 12 feet and drained the par putt forcing Koh to make his for the win, which he duly did.
 
“I needed a lot of patience and concentration today with Phachara having posted such a good score early on and the chase was on. I felt I had to make that birdie putt in the play-off, if not I felt I was going to lose.
 
“A victory in an event on this scale, against the best from the Asian Tour and Japan Tour is simply incredible,” said Koh then.
 
Phachara was looking to secure his second victory on the Asian Tour then but he took solace from the fact he had found his swing again.
 
“I am back to my old game now. I had lost it about three weeks ago. I couldn’t figure it out until Paragorn, my very good friend and now full-time coach helped,” said Phachara.
 
Keita Nakajima emerged as the best-placed Japanese by finishing in tied-third alongside Australian Anthony Quayle and Lee after signing off with a 17-under-par 271.
 
Reflecting on his performance, Nakajima felt that a steadier start could have positioned him better for the title contention then.
 
"It was unfortunate for me to have three-putted several times on the front nine's second hole, ruining the flow," he lamented.
 
"However, in the latter half, I was able to improve my concentration. Recovering immediately on the ninth after dropping a shot on the eighth was significant. The final part was challenging, but both birdie and par putts went in, which was great.
 
"Honestly, if it weren't for the slow start on the first day, I might've had a shot at winning. It's truly regrettable."
 
Kensei Hirata was the next highest-ranked Japanese player, tying for ninth with an impressive finish of 64 to tie for ninth spot at 15-under-par. Meanwhile, Ryo Ishikawa and Ryuko Tokimatsu scored 65 and 71, respectively, placing them jointly at 11th with a score of 274.
 
"I usually find it easier to make gains on the front nine. I felt that if I could build on them during the back nine, it would set me up well for the rest of the round.  I'm glad things went according to plan," said Hirata.