Yuki Inamori will be aiming to capture his first win of the season when he returns to defend his title at the ACN Championship Golf Tournament which starts on Thursday.
Related: Vantelin Tokai Classic hands Takahiro Hataji a win on JGTO again
While the tournament will be held at a different golf course this week, the five-time JGTO winner is still hopeful of putting up a strong defence at the Miki Golf Club where the ¥100,000,000 tournament is taking place.
View this post on Instagram
Like his win at the ACN Championship last year, the 30-year-old is again aiming to return to the winner’s circle for the first time this year, having gone close at the Japan PGA Championship, where he was in contention but eventually finished tied-second.
“I feel like things are moving in the right direction. From tomorrow, I’ll aim for good scores while focusing on playing my own game,” said Inamori.
“The golf course might be different from last year, but the ambition to win the title remains the same. I’m hoping to get off to a very fast start and hopefully, that will give me a good headstart.”
Inamori’s defence bid will be put to the test by in-form Kensei Hirata, who has already won four times this season and is gunning for another grandstand finish.
“My golf game is going pretty well and I’m feeling very happy about it. The greens are going to be fast this week and I’ll be cautious when approaching them. I hope my golf strategy will pay off as I really hope to win another title again,” said Hirata.
ACN Corporation is taking on the title sponsorship for the second successive year. The tournament boasts a rich heritage that began in 1969 with its inception as the Dunlop Tournament.
View this post on Instagram
It became a staple of the JGTO soon after the circuit’s formation in 1973. Historically, the championship has been hosted at various prestigious courses nationwide, rotating venues regularly. It was recognised as the Asia-Pacific Open Golf Championship Diamond Cup – joint event sanctioned by the Asian Tour in 2022.
114 players including nine amateurs will challenge for top honours at the ¥100,000,000 tournament with the winner’s prize cheque worth ¥22,000,000.
