The 92nd edition of the Japan PGA Championship returns this week with Japan’s top golfers ready to stake their claim on the country’s oldest professional golf tournament at the Sanko Golf Club.
Related: Kota Kaneko makes late charge to win Kansai Open
A total of 144 players, including defending champion Yuta Sugiura, will compete for the tournament’s total prize purse of JPY 150,000,000 — with JPY 30,000,000 going to the winner.
Last year, Sugiura withstood the pressure from compatriots Yuki Inamori and Taiga Semikawa to claim his first professional victory by winning the tournament by one-shot with a final round even-par 72.
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Speaking ahead of his first round tee off with Mikumu Horikawa and Tatsunori Shogenji on Thursday, the 23-year-old believes he is peaking at the right time, having finished tied-13th at the Kansai Open Golf Championship last week.
“My form has been improving with each tournament, and I’m feeling really good about my game right now. I’ve been very motivated to prepare for this tournament. I’m happy that my form is peaking as the event gets closer, and I’m fired up — I really want to win again this year,” said Sugiura.
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Suiguira will defend his title at a different venue this year, and having already played the pro-am and practice rounds on the 7,337 yard, Par 72 Tanigumi course, he is bracing for the challenges ahead.
“This course is long and has thick rough. The long par-threes are going to be tough, and it’s crucial to hit your shots into the right spots. I expect to miss greens often, so my short game and being able to save par from there will be crucial,” said Sugiura.
