Tokyo, Japan: With a breakthrough Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO) victory under his belt, Ren Yonezawa is aiming to emerge from the shadows of his contemporaries Keita Nakajima, Takumi Kanaya and Taiga Semikawa.
Yonezawa secured his maiden JGTO title at The Crowns on Sunday, outlasting Naoyuki Kataoka in a gripping final-day head-to-head showdown.
“I’ve been eager for victory since the start of this year, especially after finishing second twice last year,” said Yonezawa, who was joint runner-up at the Panasonic Open and Casio World Open in 2023.
Yonezawa tied for fifth on his sole Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship appearance in Shanghai in 2019 – three strokes behind Kanaya, who was edged out in a sudden-death play-off by China’s Lin Yuxin. Nakajima tied for 18th.
Reflecting on his first JGTO success, Yonezawa said: “It’s incredibly fulfilling to have reached this milestone sooner than I anticipated. Seeing many players of my age group achieve victories fuelled my desire to win, too.
“While I can’t deny feeling impatient (for the win), considering it’s only my third year as a professional, I focused on sticking to my strategic plan without rushing. I’m happy I managed to win.
“While it was disappointing to fall short in the same championship last year, those setbacks ultimately contributed to this victory. Over the weekend, I could sense a significant improvement in my mental resilience as well.”
Yonezawa's triumph saw him soar 157 places from 527th in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) to a career-best 370th.
His target is now to close the gap on Nakajima (76th in the OWGR), Kanaya (105th) and Semikawa (137th).
Semikawa rose 17 places in the standings following his first top-10 finish on the PGA Tour.
Competing on a sponsor’s exemption at the CJ CUP Byron Nelson, Semikawa closed with a 64 which propelled him to a share of ninth place on 18-under.
It was Semikawa’s 10th career start on the PGA Tour and bettered his previous best performance, a tie for 30th at this year’s Sony Open in Hawaii.
Thanks to his top-10 at TPC Craig Ranch, Semikawa has earned a starting spot in this week’s Myrtle Beach Classic.
