Kinoshita snaps five-year winless drought on JGTO

Yuta Kinoshita secured his first JGTO win in five years after firing a flawless four-under-par 67 in the final round of the Vantelin Tokai Classic in Aichi on Sunday.

Starting play tied for the lead with Takumi Kanaya at the Miyoshi Country Club, the 37-year-old journeyman delivered a steady performance to prevail in a thrilling battle against Rikuya Hoshino and Kanaya.

Having secured three birdies over 16 holes, Yuta contended in a tight race with the two younger and more illustrious stalwarts, but it was his fourth birdie on the par-four 17th that clinched his victory with a total of 15-under-par 269.

Vantelin-sponsored star Hoshino could only par the remaining two holes to close with a 67 and finish alone in second place, one shot ahead of third-placed Kanaya (69), whose bid was thwarted following a costly bogey on the penultimate hole.

Kodai Ichihara (66) and Ryosuke Kinoshita (68) shared the fourth spot 272.

Yuta's last triumph had come at the Mynavi ABC Championship in 2018, where he edged Masahiro Kawamura through a playoff.

"I'm so filled with relief and joy that it's hard to put into words," he said, his voice choked with emotion.

"Even though both of them (Hoshino and Kanay) are much younger and likely more skilled than me, I did my best to keep up.

"Deep down, I never doubted that I could upstage them."

After securing his third runner-up position in just four starts on the JGTO this season, Hoshino has shown he remains in top form, even as he primarily competes on the DP World Tour now.

Hoshino, who finished second on the JGTO money rankings last year, also finished runner-up at the Token Homemate Cup and The Crowns earlier in April before venturing into European competitions.

"While I wasn't at my peak, my adaptability and European tour experience were key in vying for the title. Both the mental challenges and the capability to adjust on the fly prove that my time in Europe continues to bear fruit," said Hoshino.

"It's a bit disappointing, but Yuta's shots on the 16th, 17th, and 18th were truly standout. The way both of us aimed for the pin on the 16th... It was awe-inspiring.

"I sometimes wish he'd cut me some slack. The latter part of the game had so many near-miss putts. I eagerly anticipate my next play in Japan."

For Kanaya, it was a case of being so close yet so far in his bid to clinch his third title of the season.

However, as a silver lining, he managed to surpass Keita Nakajima—who missed the cut this week—at the top of the JGTO money list.

"Toward the very end, I made a few mistakes, so not being able to clinch the win is very disappointing. However, there are more tournaments ahead, so I want to play well in those and aim for another win," vowed Kanaya.

Leading final round scores:

269: Yuta Kinoshita 64-70-68-67;

270: Rikuya Hoshino 70-66-67-67;

271: Takumi Kanaya 67-68-67-69;

272: Kodai Ichihara 69-68-69-66, Ryosuke Kinoshita 65-69-70-68;

274: Yosuke Asaji 69-69-69-67, Koshiro Maeda 67-69-70-68;

275: Yuki Inamori 67-69-72-67, Riki Kawamoto 67-74-68-66, Taichi Nabetani 72-67-69-67, Shunya Takeyasu 71-69-67-68, Takashi Ogiso 66-71-69-69;

277: Taiga Semikawa 61-72-73-71.