MANILA, Philippines - Toru Nakajima shot an eagle-spiked five-under 67 to run away with the low medal honors in the PGT Qualifying School at the Aoki course of the Eagle Ridge Golf and Country Club in Cavite yesterday.
The Japanese ace, who led in the first round, went five-under after eight holes, highlighted by an eagle on the par-5 No. 7 then hit three more birdies at the back to negate his three bogeys for a 32-35 card.
His fiery finish made him the lone player to churn out an under-par total of 287, four shots ahead of Koreans Lyu Hyung Suk and Seo Hyeongdae.
The troika towed 17 others to this year’s 80-plus cast of the ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour.
Nakajima actually made it to the tour in 2013, even winning the circuit’s final leg at Wack Wack but lost his card last year.
Lyu also rallied with a 71 and Seo matched par 72 to share runner-up honors at 291 while third round leader amateur Yuto Katsuragawa slowed down with a 75 and wound up solo fourth at 292.
Others who earned their tour cards were Korean Lee Seongki (74-293), Yuta Sudo of Japan (72-295), amateur Kim Tae Woo (74-296), Koreans Park Jun Yeok (69-297), Park Gyuha (75-298) and Kim Sung Wook (73-298), Japan’s Toru Morita (76-298).
Koreans Kim Jung Hun (, Jung Yong Jun, amateur Jung Hoe Yeop, Kim Chang Hoi, Lee Hyun Woo, Min Geong Chan, Lee Sangun and Kim Minsu and Japanese Yuki Kishida (75-308);
Koreans Kim Jung Hun (74-300), Jung Yong Jun (75-301), amateur Jung Hoe Yeop (79-304), Kim Chang Hoi (71-305), Lee Hyun Woo (76-305), Min Geong Chan (70-306), Lee Sangun (73-306) and Kim Minsu (75-307)and Japanese Yuki Kishida (75-308).
The foreign elims thus capped the two-stage qualifier put up by the organizing Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. to accommodate the big number of pro aspirants with Jobim Carlos topping the Q-School among the local hopefuls. The circuit will fire off at Valley Golf next month.