Japan’s Toshinori Muto clinches maiden Asian Tour title

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Japan’s Toshinori Muto collected his first Asian Tour title in style after closing with a second straight seven-under-par 64 to win by four shots at the Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship on Sunday.

The 41-year-old Muto halted a winless streak of four years after firing eight birdies against a bogey to cap a winning total of 21-under-par 263, setting a record lowest 72-hole score in the tournament that is celebrating its 10th edition this week.

Starting the day with a one-shot edge, Muto rode on his fine form to pull away from the chasing pack at the Higashi Hirono Golf Club. His four-shot triumph would also match the largest winning margin record in the tournament set earlier by Daisuke Maruyama in 2009.

Shugo Imahira, who entered the week as the second highest-ranked Japanese on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), came in runner-up after closing with three straight birdies for a 67. Home favourite Ryo Ishikawa carded a commendable 66 to finish one shot back in third.

Asian Tour Order of Merit leader Jazz Janewattananond of Thailand battled to a 71 to finish in fourth place on 271. The result was enough to help him win the second edition of the Panasonic Swing series with 3,021 points and take home a top bonus prize of US$70,000.

Thai duo Poom Saksansin and Panuphol Pittayarat secured second and third places on the final Panasonic Swing rankings, earning US$50,000 and US$30,000 respectively from the reward scheme.

The ¥150,000,000 (approx. US$1,338,067) event, co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO), is the concluding leg of the 2018/19 Panasonic Swing.

The Panasonic Swing is based on an aggregate point ranking earned by players at the following five tournaments - 2018 Thailand Open, 2018 Panasonic Open India, 2018 Indonesian Masters, 2019 Maybank Championship (Malaysia) and 2019 Panasonic Open Golf Championship (Japan).

Scores after round 4 of the Panasonic Open Golf Championship being played at the par 71, 7058 Yards Higashi Hirono CC course (am - denotes amateur):

263 - Toshinori Muto (JPN) 65-70-64-64.

267 - Shugo Imahira (JPN) 65-69-66-67.

268 - Ryo Ishikawa (JPN) 72-62-68-66.

271 - Jazz Janewattananond (THA) 66-69-66-70.

272 - Jbe Kruger (RSA) 71-66-69-66, Hiroyuki Fujita (JPN) 70-70-66-66, Hosung Choi (KOR) 68-68-69-67, Katsumasa Miyamoto (JPN) 73-66-66-67.

273 - Brendan Jones (AUS) 67-70-66-70.

274 - Shaun Norris (RSA) 68-71-69-66, Shingo Katayama (JPN) 70-67-69-68.

275 - Yoshitaka Takeya (JPN) 73-68-66-68, Sanghyun Park (KOR) 69-70-67-69, Miguel Carballo (ARG) 67-68-66-74.

276 - Masanori Kobayashi (JPN) 69-70-70-67, Taihei Sato (JPN) 69-68-70-69, Koki Shiomi (JPN) 71-70-66-69.