Alex Bruce reports:
The PGA Hickory Golf Tournament TAIHEIYO CLUB CUP 2023, Japan’s first PGA-sanctioned hickory golf tournament (total prize money 8 million yen) was held at the Taiheiyo Club Yachiyo Course on Dec. 8-9. The tournament was played with hickory shafted golf clubs; all players wore knickerbockers.
The competition format was a two-day pro-am tournament, with 30 professionals playing 36 holes of stroke play over the two-day competition. The amateur competition was a team competition on the first and an individual competition on the second. In total, 30 amateurs participated in the tournament.
Norio Shinozaki won the tournament with an even-par score of 144 over the two days to collect the 500,000 yen first-place prize money. The Best Amateur Award went to Scott Nakase, a member of the Taiheiyo Club, who shot a 77.
In addition to the senior professionals who participated in the tournament, regular tour players Naoto Nakanishi and Yuwa Kosaihira, and women’s pros Mika Miyazato and Sayuri Takashima, added their talents to the event.
At the award ceremony, the president of Taiheiyo Club Corporation, Mr. Shun Han, announced, “We are determined to continue this tournament for the next ten years,” to the delight of all the hickory golf players.
First-time hickory golf champion Norio Shinozaki commented, “This was my first hickory golf championship, and the hickory shaft clubs were great; better than my regular clubs. My first senior tour championship was at the Maruhan Cup Taiheiyo Club Senior event, so I feel a close connection with the Taiheiyo Club. I look forward to playing in this hickory golf tournament next year to defend my title”.
The tournament will be broadcast on Golf Network’s TV channel. Program name: “PGA Hickory Golf Tournament Taiheiyo Club Cup 2023.”
