Yuta Sugiura underlined his growing credentials by signing off from the ZOZO Championship with his best round of six-under-par 64 to emerge as the top Japanese at the JGTO and PGA Tour co-sanctioned event on Sunday.
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The 23-year-old, who was making his debut at the ZOZO Championship, closed with a four-day total of 13-under-par 267 and finished in tied-sixth place – seven shots behind Colombian Nico Echavarria, who won the championship by one shot over Justin Thomas and Max Greyserman of the United States.
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Sugiura first created headlines when he became the first-ever amateur and only seventh amateur winner in JGTO history to do so to win the Dunlop Phoenix Tournament in November last year.
He went on to claim his first professional victory at the Japan PGA Championship in July before proving his worth again against a stellar field at the Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club.
“It feels great to know how much my game has improved and I’m able to stand tall against a quality field. It is indeed a confidence boost. My shots were solid and I just stuck to a simple approach,” said Sugiura, who kept the bogeys off his card in his last 36 holes.
With a top-10 finish, Sugiura is also eligible to play at the World Wide Technology Championship on the PGA Tour in a fortnight (based on availability in the field). However, he remains undecided as he aims to finish strongly on the JGTO with four events remaining on the 2024 season.
“I haven’t decided yet as there’s still everything to play for on the JGTO. I’m still in contention for the money ranking and I’ve to think through my next steps,” said Sugiura.
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Echavarria, meanwhile, birdied two of his last three holes to emerge victorious for the second time since his maiden win at the Puerto Rico Open last year. While expressing sheer delight for his winning efforts, the 30-year-old also heaped praise on the quality of Japanese players on Tour.
“It’s surreal. This moment is very special. It’s been a good year for me, I just haven’t had that top result. I’ve been very consistent, I’ve learned a lot this year. To finish the year this way is, it’s incredible, especially doing it here in Japan in such an amazing country.
“I’m very impressed with the opportunities given to Japanese players, like how they get to play with the best players from the PGA Tour this week. There are many good Japanese players and the future of Japanese golf is in good hands,” said Echavarria.
