Shimizu downs Shogenji in marathon playoff at Japan PGA C’ship

Taisei Shimizu - TheGolfingHub
Taisei Shimizu was pushed to the distance by Shogenji as they matched blow for blow with par-par-birdie in the first three playoff holes before Shimizu secured his breakthrough with a winning par on the par-five 18 at the Sanko Golf Club. Photo: JGTO

Taisei Shimizu outplayed Tatsunori Shogenji in a gripping four-hole playoff to win his maiden JGTO title at the Japan PGA Championship on Sunday.

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The 26-year-old was pushed to the distance by Shogenji as they matched blow for blow with par-par-birdie in the first three playoff holes before Shimizu secured his breakthrough with a winning par on the par-five 18 at the Sanko Golf Club.

Shimizu’s late birdie on 18 in regulation play saved him from the brink of defeat as it forced the contest into extra time after he double bogeyed 16 and bogeyed 17 to trail Shogenji by one shot heading into the last hole.

Starting the final round tied for fifth, Shimizu made a promising start with five birdies in his outward nine. He then birdied 11 and 12 for what had seemed to be a comfortable run towards the finishing line until he dropped three shots in his closing holes for a final round five-under-par 67.

“I often create my own pressure and couldn’t break the cycle. I felt the same way on the 16th hole today, but I’m really glad I was able to win. I just feel super relieved that I finally got the win,” said Shimizu.

After enduring several near misses, notably two runner-up finishes at the Panasonic Open and Casio World Open last year, Shimizu was glad the positives he took from those experiences have made him a winner now.

“Last year was especially tough. I had several chances of winning but that victory always seemed elusive. Since then, I’ve learnt not to over-focus on winning. I started treating every shot the same, whether it’s the first shot of the tournament or one during the final round,” said Shimizu.