The ISPS Handa Championship is the first ever tournament to be co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour and the Japan Golf Tour. The host course for this tournament is the PGM Ishioka in Omitama in Japan, around 50 miles north-east of Tokyo.
Originally, this co-sanctioned event was first due to take place in April of 2022 however due to travel restrictions in the country at the time, the tournament was split into the ISPS Handa Championship in Spain on the DP World Tour, and the ISPS Handa Championship in Japan on the Japan Golf Tour, with both playing concurrently. Both of the 2022 tournaments were essentially one-off events before both tours could come together to play the Championship from 2023 in Japan.
The location for the DP World Tour's Spanish tournament was in the north-east of the country at the beautiful Costa Dorada Infinitum Resort with their picturesque surroundings of the La Sèquia Major Wetlands. Many players enjoyed the scoring-friendly layout of the course, none more so than Pablo Larrazábal who saw off fellow Spaniard Adrián Otaegui to win by one shot. Over in Japan, Yuto Katsuragawa picked up his first win on the Japan Tour having turned pro in 2020.
Past Winners
Year | Course | Winner |
---|---|---|
2023 | PGM Ishioka Golf Club | Lucas Herbert |
2022 | Infinitum Golf | Pablo Larrazabal |
2022 | PGM Ishioka Golf Club | Yuto Katsuragawa |
2023: Lucas Herbert
The first event to be co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour and the Japan Golf Tour Organisation ultimately went to Australia, as 27-year-old Lucas Herbert claimed his third DP Tour title, following wins at the 2020 Omega Dubai Desert Classic and 2021 Dubai Duty Free Irish Open. Also successful on the PGA Tour in the 2021 Bermuda Championship, Herbert was made to work hard for victory, ultimately mastering Canadian Aaron Cockerill in a playoff, following a thrilling final round.
The week didn’t begin well for Herbert, who only made it into Japan late on Wednesday due to travel issues, but he was quick to find his stride with an opening round of 67 before an excellent 63 on Friday saw him marching up the leaderboard. Posting a 68 on Saturday, he began the final round just one shot off the lead.
That deficit was however erased with a birdie at the very first hole. He then hit an eagle following a brilliant approach at the par-five fifth hole, which saw Herbert move to 15 under and into the lead. Cockerill however wouldn’t go away, sinking from 18ft for a birdie at the 14th to move into a tie for the lead, and draining a fantastic 25ft effort at the 15th to save par and remain level. Herbert came closest to sealing the deal with a narrow miss from 20ft at the final hole, but at the end of 72 holes, the pair could not be separated on 15 under.
Drama ensued at the first playoff hole, with Herbert’s 20ft effort whistling just past the hole, and Cockerill going even closer when seeing his putt dance around the rim. Herbert then looked to be in trouble when finding the trees with his tee shot at the next, but took advantage of a kind lie with his dropped ball to fire his approach onto the green. A 12ft birdie putt from there was good enough, with Cockerill only managing a par.
It proved an excellent week’s work for Herbert, who made that troubled journey worthwhile by claiming the €310,208.52 winner's share of the prize money, and moving up to fourth in the Race to Dubai Standings. Scotland’s Calum Hill claimed a solo third on 14 under par, with home favourite Hiroshi Iwata a shot further back in a tie for fourth with another Scotsman, Grant Forrest.
2022: Pablo Larrazabal
Spanish golf fans were delighted with the news that the 2022 ISPS Handa Championship was moved to Infinitum Golf after it became clear the tournament could not take place in Japan as scheduled. That delight faded somewhat due to the weather in Tarragona. Heavy rain meant the tournament was stop-start in the early rounds but the hardy Spanish fans were ultimately rewarded as Pablo Larrazabal earned his first DP World Tour win on home soil.
Larrazabal, like the fans, found the going difficult in the early stages of the tournament. He plugged on though and gave himself an outside chance of victory in the final round which began with him in sixth place. He knew that he would have to go seriously low to win as he had a deficit to make up while scoring was sure to be low on a receptive golf course. What he didn’t know was that he had a sensational round of 62 in the locker.
It was an incredible run of five birdies around the turn that transformed a good round into a great one, one good enough to deliver the trophy. Everybody else in contention knew what Larrazabal was doing, but nobody could match the score he was producing, including overnight leader Adrian Otageui, who fell just one shot short of forcing a playoff.
2022: Yuto Katsuragawa
Things didn't quite go to plan in 2022 for the organisers of the newly formed ISPS Handa Championship. This event was due to break new ground as the first tournament co-sanctioned by the DP World/European Tour to be held in Japan. Continuing travel restrictions to the country meant that only players on the Japan Golf Tour could take part in Omitama, with a sister event taking place at the same time at the Costa Dorada Infinitum Resort in Spain on the DP World Tour.
One player who took full advantage of this reorganisation was Japan's Yuto Katsuragawa, who won his first event on the tour in just his third season as a professional. After an opening round of 67, Katsuragawa fired himself into contention with an 8 under 63, going into the weekend's play as the joint leader. A third round 65 meant that the 23-year-old started the final day alongside Justin De Los Santos in first place but a final round 70 from the Philippines golfer left Yuto Katsuragawa in front to pick up a memorable maiden victory.