Hiroshima, Japan: With a dramatic final-hole birdie, Kohei Okada added his name to the Japan Amateur Golf Championship’s roll of honour.

Thanks to a three on the 440-yard 18th hole at Hiroshima Country Club’s Hachihonmatsu Course, Okada posted a closing five-under 67.

That gave him a 72-hole total of 15-under 273 – and a one-stroke victory from Ryunosuke Furukawa in the 106th edition of the championship.

Two shots behind Furukawa in second place heading into the final round, Okada followed up his 67 in round three with an equally impressive display on the final day, snaring seven birdies against two bogeys.

With four holes of the final-round remaining, Okada found himself two strokes clear at the top. But his first blemish of the day at the long 15th enabled Furukawa to halve the deficit. Furukawa then made birdie at 16 to once more draw level with Okada.

After both players dropped shots at the 181-yard, par-three 17th, a play-off looked probable until Okada took matters into his own hands with what proved to be the decisive birdie on the home hole.

Winner of the Japan Junior Golf Championship (boys 12-14 years old) in 2016, Okada began this week in 390th place in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) and can expect a significant rise on the back of his triumph. He has also earned himself a place in the starting line-up for the 87th Japan Open Golf Championship in October.

In the absence of defending champion Keita Nakajima, number one in the WAGR, Taiga Semikawa assumed the mantle as pre-tournament favourite.

With four birdies in five holes from the 12th, Semikawa forced his way into contention down the stretch only to see his prospects undone by a double-bogey five at the short 17th.

Semikawa, 14th in the WAGR, signed for a 68 and had to content himself with third place on 276.