Japan’s amateur golfers continued their Australian love affair today, with Ren Yonezawa winning the South Australian Amateur Classic at Royal Adelaide.
A series of event winners dating to the 2018 Australian Amateur and a week’s camp a South Australia has given the Japanese contingent a feeling of confidence in Australian conditions.
Trailing overnight leaders Billy Cawthorne and Yuta Sugiura by a single shot heading into the final round, Yonezawa was joined by an ensemble of contenders at the halfway point including Queensland’s Jed Morgan and 2018 Australian Amateur champion Keita Nakajima.
Yonezawa, though, dug deep to break away from the pack with an eagle on the 15th pivotal to his success.
“Royal Adelaide is a fantastic golf course,” said Yonezawa.
“I have been in Adelaide for two weeks which is a great opportunity.
“This week has tested my skills and the greens had great speed.”
The victory is Yonezawa’s first international win after a 12th place finish in Adelaide last year.
“This has been my best performance. I am very happy.”
An impressive six-under-par 66 finish from Morgan secured the QAS squad member outright second.
Sugiura couldn’t maintain his early-round heroics falling away with bogies on 10 and 11 to finish in a three-way tie for third with South Australian stateteam mates Jack Thompson and Cawthorne.