After winning at the ISPS Handa Championship in Japan, Yuto Katsuragawa set his sights on an invitation to play on the PGA Tour.
Currently the world No. 434, the athlete began in the competition mainly unknown outside of his native country, and it appeared that way until coming into the final round three strokes behind the lead among players on the DP World Tour with winning records. With his determination, he shared the lead at the halfway point after making up two strokes on the front nine as the leaders were having difficulty, and five birdies in seven holes beginning on the tenth hole powered him to victory.
After a final-round 63 to go to 17 under, three shots ahead of the Swedish player Sebastian Soderberg, he announced following his triumph that he will now accept his membership in the DP World Tour.
Katsuragawa and the next challenge
Katsuragawa declared: “I have been practicing a lot to stand on the big stage… I can now go on the DP World Tour which is really great and I’m really happy with it. I’m aiming to become a member of the PGA Tour in the future.”
“I was very nervous on the back nine, my hands were shaking but I trusted myself and I managed to bring my golf… This course is beside Mount Fuji and very beautiful but it is a challenging course and I’m happy to win at a challenging course like this,” he added.
With the top 10 players at the end of the season not already exempt earning a PGA Tour card, Katsuragawa will automatically move into the top 25 on the Race to Dubai.
Cover Photo: IG
Source: Sky Sports