Kirin Open

Asia Pacific Open Golf Championship Kirin Open
Tournament information
LocationIbaraki, Ibaraki, Japan
Established1972
Course(s)Ibaraki Golf Club
Par71
Length7,049 yards (6,446 m)
Tour(s)Asia Golf Circuit
Japan Golf Tour
FormatStroke play
Prize fund¥100,000,000
Month playedApril
Final year2001
Tournament record score
Aggregate265 Kuo Chie-Hsiung (1978)
To par−23 as above
Final champion
Japan Shingo Katayama
Location map
Ibaraki GC is located in Japan
Ibaraki GC
Ibaraki GC
Location in Japan
Ibaraki GC is located in Ibaraki Prefecture
Ibaraki GC
Ibaraki GC
Location in the Ibaraki Prefecture

The Kirin Open was a golf tournament in Japan. It was founded in 1972 as the season ending event on the Asia Golf Circuit, replacing the Yomiuri International which had been cancelled when sponsors decided to discontinue the event.[1][2] It was also a fixture on the Japan Golf Tour from 1974 until 2001.

It was played at Sobu Country Club in Inzai until 1976. In 1977 Dunlop became title sponsors and the tournament was moved to Ibaraki Golf Club in Ibaraki.

Winners

Year Tour(s)[a] Winner Score To par Margin of
victory
Runner(s)-up Ref.
Asia Pacific Open Golf Championship Kirin Open
2001 JPN Japan Shingo Katayama (2) 271 −13 6 strokes Japan Hajime Meshiai
2000 JPN Japan Shingo Katayama 280 −4 2 strokes Taiwan Lin Keng-chi
Australia Peter Senior
Australia Andre Stolz
Kirin Open
1999 AGC, JPN South Korea K. J. Choi 204[b] −9 Playoff[c] India Jeev Milkha Singh [3]
1998 AGC, JPN Philippines Frankie Miñoza (2) 279 −5 1 stroke Japan Hidemichi Tanaka
Japan Tsukasa Watanabe
United States Brian Watts
1997 AGC, JPN South Korea Kim Jong-duck 278 −10 2 strokes Japan Shigeki Maruyama
Japan Hirofumi Miyase
Japan Tateo Ozaki
United States Brian Watts
1996 AGC, JPN Japan Yoshinori Kaneko 278 −10 1 stroke Japan Tsuneyuki Nakajima
Japan Nobuo Serizawa
Dunlop Open
1995 AGC, JPN Australia Peter Senior 279 −9 5 strokes United States Brian Watts [4]
1994 AGC, JPN Japan Masashi Ozaki (4) 274 −14 1 stroke Taiwan Hsieh Chin-sheng [5]
1993 AGC, JPN Japan Hajime Meshiai 275 −13 2 strokes Japan Katsunari Takahashi
United States Kevin Wentworth
[6]
1992 AGC, JPN Japan Masashi Ozaki (3) 286 −2 Playoff[d] Canada Brent Franklin [7]
1991 AGC, JPN Australia Roger Mackay 272 −16 2 strokes Japan Teruo Sugihara [8]
1990 AGC, JPN Philippines Frankie Miñoza 205[b] −11 Playoff[e] Japan Teruo Sugihara [9]
1989 AGC, JPN Australia Terry Gale 284 −4 1 stroke Taiwan Chen Tze-ming
Australia Peter Senior
[10]
1988 AGC, JPN Japan Masashi Ozaki (2) 278 −10 3 strokes United States David Ishii [11]
Dunlop International Open
1987 AGC, JPN Japan Isao Aoki 277 −11 1 stroke Japan Tsuneyuki Nakajima
Japan Yoshitaka Yamamoto
[12]
1986 AGC, JPN Japan Hideto Shigenobu 281 −7 2 strokes United States David Ishii
Japan Masahiro Kuramoto
[13]
1985 AGC, JPN Taiwan Chen Tze-chung 277 −11 1 stroke Japan Tsuneyuki Nakajima [14]
1984 AGC, JPN United States John Jacobs 283 −5 2 strokes Japan Tateo Ozaki [15]
1983 AGC, JPN United States Larry Nelson 201[b] −15 1 stroke Japan Masahiro Kuramoto [16][17]
1982 AGC, JPN Japan Tsuneyuki Nakajima 276 −12 5 strokes Japan Saburo Fujiki [18]
1981 AGC, JPN Japan Kosaku Shimada 286 −2 2 strokes United States Payne Stewart
Japan Koichi Uehara
Japan Akira Yabe
[19]
1980 AGC, JPN Japan Masashi Ozaki 277 −11 5 strokes Taiwan Ho Ming-chung
Australia Graham Marsh
[20]
1979 AGC, JPN Japan Hiroshi Ishii 278 −10 3 strokes Japan Seiji Ebihara
Japan Tateo Ozaki
Japan Katsunari Takahashi
[21]
1978 AGC, JPN Taiwan Kuo Chie-Hsiung 265 −23 11 strokes United States Bob Byman [22]
1977 AGC, JPN Philippines Ben Arda (2) 282 −6 2 strokes New Zealand Terry Kendall
Japan Tsuneyuki Nakajima
[23]
Sobu International Open
1976 AGC, JPN Philippines Ben Arda 277 −11 4 strokes Taiwan Chen Chien-chung [24]
1975 AGC, JPN Japan Teruo Sugihara 282 −6 2 strokes Australia Ted Ball
Taiwan Hsu Sheng-san
Japan Hideyo Sugimoto
[25]
1974 AGC, JPN Taiwan Lu Liang-Huan 280 −8 4 strokes Japan Masashi Ozaki
Japan Fumio Tanaka
[26]
1973 AGC Japan Shigeru Uchida 279 −9 Playoff[f] Japan Masashi Ozaki [27]
1972 AGC Taiwan Hsieh Min-Nan 279 −9 2 strokes Philippines Ben Arda [28]

Notes

  1. ^ AGC − Asia Golf Circuit; JPN − Japan Golf Tour.
  2. ^ a b c Shortened to 54 holes due to rain.
  3. ^ Choi won on the first hole of a sudden death playoff.
  4. ^ Ozaki won on the first hole of a sudden death playoff.
  5. ^ Miñoza won with a birdie on the second hole of a sudden death playoff.
  6. ^ Uchida won with a 180-yard hole-out for eagle on the third hole of a sudden death playoff.

References

  1. ^ "Asian golf circuit gets underway". New Nation. 24 February 1972. p. 14. Retrieved 7 February 2020 – via National Library Board (Singapore).
  2. ^ "Yomiuri is out". New Nation. 9 February 1972. p. 19. Retrieved 7 February 2020 – via National Library Board (Singapore).
  3. ^ "Kirin Open". The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore, Maryland. 26 April 1999. p. 36. Retrieved 21 February 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "International Results – Golf". The Canberra Times. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 24 April 1995. p. 25. Retrieved 22 February 2020 – via Trove.
  5. ^ "International Results – Golf". The Canberra Times. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 25 April 1994. p. 21. Retrieved 22 February 2020 – via Trove.
  6. ^ "International Results – Golf". The Canberra Times. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 26 April 1993. p. 22. Retrieved 22 February 2020 – via Trove.
  7. ^ "International Results – Golf". The Canberra Times. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 28 April 1992. p. 18. Retrieved 22 February 2020 – via Trove.
  8. ^ "International Results – Golf". The Canberra Times. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 29 April 1991. p. 24. Retrieved 22 February 2020 – via Trove.
  9. ^ McCormack, Mark H. (1991). The World of Professional Golf 1991. Chapmans. pp. 283, 524. ISBN 1855925583.
  10. ^ "Surprise win for Gale". The Canberra Times. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 25 April 1989. p. 19. Retrieved 22 February 2020 – via Trove.
  11. ^ "Sport Summary – Golf – Dunlop Open". The Sydney Morning Herald. Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. 25 April 1988. p. 27. Retrieved 22 February 2020 – via Google News Archive.
  12. ^ "Aoki A-okay for Dunlop crown". The Straits Times. Singapore. 27 April 1987. p. 2. Retrieved 22 February 2020 – via National Library Board.
  13. ^ McCormack, Mark H. (1987). Ebel World of Professional Golf 1987. Collins Willow. p. 473. ISBN 0002182572.
  14. ^ "Chen's day again". The Straits Times. Singapore. 29 April 1985. p. 24. Retrieved 22 February 2020 – via National Library Board.
  15. ^ McCormack, Mark H. (1985). Ebel World of Professional Golf 1985. Springwood Books Ltd. p. 451. ISBN 0862541247.
  16. ^ "Nicklaus leads the elite". The Straits Times. Singapore. 23 April 1983. p. 41. Retrieved 22 February 2020 – via National Library Board.
  17. ^ "Eagle does it for Nelson". The Straits Times. Singapore. 25 April 1983. p. 39. Retrieved 22 February 2020 – via National Library Board.
  18. ^ "Shearer one off lead". The Age. Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. 26 April 1982. p. 25. Retrieved 22 February 2020 – via Google News Archive.
  19. ^ McCormack, Mark H. (1982). Dunhill World of Professional Golf 1982. Springwood Books Ltd. p. 448. ISBN 0862541018.
  20. ^ "Ozaki hits 70 to finish 5 strokes ahead". The Straits Times. Singapore. 28 April 1980. p. 26. Retrieved 22 February 2020 – via National Library Board.
  21. ^ "Veteran Ishii triumphs in Japan Open". The Straits Times. Singapore. 23 April 1979. p. 28. Retrieved 22 February 2020 – via National Library Board.
  22. ^ McCormack, Mark H. (1979). Dunhill Golf Yearbook 1979. Doubleday Publishing. p. 385. ISBN 0385149409.
  23. ^ "Veteran has good win". The Age. Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. 25 April 1977. p. 27. Retrieved 22 February 2020 – via Google News Archive.
  24. ^ "Arda wins right to play in British, US meets". The Straits Times. Singapore. 26 April 1976. p. 27. Retrieved 22 February 2020 – via National Library Board.
  25. ^ "Veteran Sugihara storms way to Sobhu title, but Hsieh again takes circuit prize". The Straits Times. Singapore. 21 April 1975. p. 26. Retrieved 22 February 2020 – via National Library Board.
  26. ^ "Lu cards a 70 to win Sobu Open". The Straits Times. Singapore. 22 April 1974. p. 27. Retrieved 22 February 2020 – via National Library Board.
  27. ^ "Uchida beats Ozaki". The Straits Times. Singapore. 23 April 1973. p. 23. Retrieved 22 February 2020 – via National Library Board.
  28. ^ "Marsh wins circuit prize". The Age. Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. 24 April 1972. p. 27. Retrieved 22 February 2020 – via Google News Archive.