Hyogo, Japan: While Japan’s bid for glory in the 15th Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC) fell just shy, one former Japanese winner of the event was celebrating his eighth victory as a professional.

At Taiheiyo Club Gotemba, Rintaro Nakano, Reo Maruo, Masato Sumiuchi and Shoon Kobayashi all finished among the top-seven in the AAC, won by China’s Ding Wenyi.

Meanwhile, some 460 kilometres away, to the west of Gotemba, Takumi Kanaya completed a sensational comeback to win the Japan Golf Tour Organisation’s ACN Championship Golf Tournament with a birdie at the first hole of a sudden-death play-off.

Kanaya started the final day five shots off the lead but hauled his way into contention with a bogey-free closing round of eight-under-par 63 at the Miki Country Club.

That effort saw him end the 72-hole event in a share of first place with Korean veteran Ryu Hyun-woo.

And with the momentum in his favour, Kanaya made a birdie at the first extra hole to claim his seventh JGTO title and reignite his hopes of topping the 2024 Money List.

“I thought that if I didn’t make a lot of birdies, I wouldn’t be able to catch up with the leader. However, I believed that if I could play my own game, I could put myself into contention again. I managed to do that and win the play-off, which was great!” said Kanaya, who won the AAC at Singapore’s Sentosa Golf Club in 2018.

With the 2024 JGTO season approaching its climax with only five events left to play, Kanaya hopes to end his 2024 campaign with a flourish.

Kanaya, now aged 26, added: “I think all players are aiming to become the money leader. Even though last year was difficult, I’ve realised that continuing to play my game is the most important thing.

“Especially towards the end of the season, I think there will be a lot of pressure from other players. I want to focus on playing my game well.”