Iwasaki takes off with ANA Open trophy

Aguri Iwasaki returned to the winner’s circle again after 11 months when he signed off with a six-under-par 66 to win the ANA Open Golf Tournament on Sunday.
 
The 26-year-old had to overcome a shaky start when he double bogeyed his second hole but fought back bravely with five birdies and an eagle to pip Kota Kaneko and Ryutaro Nagano – who were both chasing their maiden JGTO wins – to the title by two shots.
 
Iwasaki’s last win on the JGTO came at the Japan Open last October. In his last 13 starts on the JGTO before the ANA Open this week, he made the cut six times and only had one top 10 finish.
 
It was indeed a welcome relief for Iwasaki, who stood victorious at the Sapporo Golf Club Wattsu Course in Hokkaido, after admitting he had struggled with his form since his breakthrough.
 
“After winning the Japan Open last year, my form went downhill. I was not sure if I could win again, but I’m glad I did today,” said Iwasaki.
 
“In the front nine, since my score wasn't great, I didn't pay much attention to the leaderboard and just concentrated on what was in front of me. But after improving my score with my birdie on 11 and eagle on 12, I checked the leaderboard and realised I had a chance.
 
When asked about his next goal after his grandstand finish this week, Iwasaki said: “I’m not in a position to compete for the money list yet. So, I want to win more tournaments and get myself every chance to be in contention now." 
 
Starting the day, three shots off the lead, Kaneko knew he had to get off to a fast start to reduce the deficit. After making four straight pars, the 22-year-old found renewed hope with a pair of birdies on five and six. He birdied 12 and 15 and had reduced the Iwasaki’s advantage to just one shot with three holes to play.
 
A birdie on 17 gave Kaneko a lifeline, but with Iwasaki also birdieing the same hole, he knew he could not afford to drop a shot on the closing 18 if he wanted to stand at least a chance of forcing the tournament into extra time. 
 
But a bogey on the last put paid to all hope.
 
“That last bogey was frustrating. I was trying to make a birdie, but instead, it ended up as a bogey. I was aiming for the pin, but my body lifted, and the shot went right. It's disappointing. I had no choice but to try to sink the approach.
 
“It was my first time being in contention for the win until the very end, which was a good experience, but it’s still frustrating.” said Kaneko.
 
Like Kaneko, Nagano’s wait for his breakthrough on the JGTO had to be prolonged. The overnight leader had a two-shot cushion going into the final round but his putting deserted him on the day that matters most.
 
“Today, it was all about missing all those birdie chances. I gave myself opportunities, but I just couldn’t convert them, and that made it very hard to improve my score,” said a disappointed Nagano.
 
Leading final round scores
All Japanese unless indicated otherwise
268 - Aguri Iwasaki 66-67-69-66
270 - Ryutaro Nagano 64-68-67-71, Kota Kaneko 67-69-66-68
271 – Ryuichi Oiwa 67-66-70-68, Shugo Imahira 69-66-68-68, Shaun Norris (RSA) 70-69-62-70
 
Ends.