Brad Kennedy 4th in Japan Tour’s Golf Partner event in Ibaraki

Kennedy in action this week – photo Japan Golf Tour

Queenslander Brad Kennedy has recorded his best Japan Tour finish in two and a half years by finishing 4th in this week’s Golf Partner Pro Am event in Toride Kokusai Golf Club in Ibaraki Prefecture.

Kennedy, a four time winner on the Japan Golf Tour, finished runner-up at the Golf Japan Series JT Cup in late 2019 although with the disruption of Covid in the last two years, his campaign in Japan has been restricted but after leading through 36 holes this week, the 47 year old held on to finish 4th and only one shot out of a three way playoff.

The number one money winner on the 2020 /2021 PGA Tour of Australasia money list, Kennedy appeared a strong chance to win the event through ten holes of today’s round but bogeys at his 14th and 15th holes cost him dearly and although he rallied late with birdies at the 16th and 17th, he fell one short of the playoff.

“I’m pretty gutted right now. I guess this one hurts. You only get so many chances a year,” said Kennedy.

“I played nicely today, but I didn’t get my yardages right on the short par-fours. I failed to make any birdies on those holes, which really cost me today.

“I hit a couple of bad shots on 14 and 15 and paid the price. I really grinded it out and made nice birdies on 16 and 17 and then made a great putt at the last, but I can’t believe it didn’t break.

“All in all, it was the short pat-fours that I really needed to take advantage of. But there was nothing much I could do about them today,” he lamented.

Kennedy earns $A25,000 (equiv) for his finish in one of the lesser prize money events on the Japan Tour.

The tournament was won by Shugo Imahira after a birdie the the second hole of a playoff secured the 29 year old his 7th Japan Tour victory.

Of the other Australians, Anthony Quayle finished in a share of 16th place, Brendan Jones 22nd and Andrew Evans 37th.

Kennedy is the leading Australasian on the Japan Tour to date in 2022 in 20th place on the money list.