Inamori wins again at Japan Players Championship by Sato Shokuhin

Yuki Inamori birdied the last two holes to win the Japan Players Championship by Sato Shokuhin on Sunday for his second JGTO victory of the season and career's fourth overall.

The 27-year-old Inamori closed with a seven-under-par 65 at the Nishi Nasuno Country Club for a one-shot victory over Kaito Onishi, who signed for the identical score.

Inamori finished at 23-under 265 to join Kazuki Higa and Shugo Imahara as the multiple winners of this season. 

Starting one shot adrift penultimate leader Katsumasa Miyamoto, Inamori made his move early when he fired three birdies in succession from the third hole before adding another on hole seven.

He would squander a shot on nine but brilliantly made up for it by securing his fifth birdie right after the turn.

Inamori continued to charge on with another gain on 13 to get to 21-under and his playing partner Miyamoto by two at that point.

But it turned out to be Onishi, the one breaking away from the packed leaderboard following four straight birdies from 13 to emerge as the new leader at 22-under.

Miyamoto fumbled when it mattered most, as two bogeys suffered on 14 and 17 saw his hopes of winning a 13th tour title fade away.

Onishi, playing one flight ahead, made no further ground in his last two holes, paving the way for Inamori to join him at the summit briefly before knocking him off with a clutch putt at the last.

"It's my second win this year. I'm so relieved," said Inamori, also a two-time Japan Open winner.

"I thought it would be a struggle to improve the score today, especially after I made a bogey on the ninth hole.

"I had the chance to win it outright at the final hole, and I didn't want to miss that.

"For that winning putt, I got the inspiration from Miyamoto. I observed how he read the line before that and emulated it, and it went in!

"It's a great end to the first half of the season. I'm jetting off to the United States to train and play a few tournaments there during the break," added the man who walked away ¥10,000,000 richer.

It marked Onishi's second runner-up finish of the season after missing out on his breakthrough victory at the Diamond Cup last month, a tournament in which he led in the first three rounds.

It was just as devastating for Miyamoto, who eventually had to settle for joint third on 267 after he failed to make his penultimate stage lead counts for the second straight year.

Last year, he took a two-shot lead into the final round but could only muster a 73 for joint second.

Yuta Ikeda, a 21-time JGTO winner, produced a spirited final round performance to shoot a 63 for a share of third spot with ever-improving youngster Yuto Katsuragawa, who equally impressed with a 64.

The JGTO season will take a five-week before resuming with the Japan PGA Championship from August 4-7.