TOURNAMENT HISTORY

That day, the Nispa forest swayed under winds exceeding eight meters per second.

The championship match was a true test of endurance: a 36-hole match-play final between Toru Taniguchi and Kaname Yokoo. Through the opening 18 holes, it was Yokoo who seized control. Playing with confidence and precision in the demanding conditions, he built a commanding 4-up lead by the halfway point. Yet match play allows no room for complacency.

As the second half began, Taniguchi found his rhythm. Over the next eight holes, he launched a determined counterattack, winning five holes to erase the deficit and suddenly turn the match on its head. The momentum swung sharply, and the flow of the contest appeared to favor Taniguchi as the wind continued to whip through the course. What followed would define the championship.

Over the next eight holes, Taniguchi mounted a fierce comeback, winning five to swing the match dramatically in his favor. Momentum had clearly shifted, and it appeared the contest was slipping away from Yokoo. Then came the turning point.

At the 27th hole (the 9th), Yokoo stood over an extraordinary 18-meter birdie putt. The line was anything but simple—breaking right before curling sharply left—but he read it to perfection. The ball traced the snaking line and dropped into the cup, pulling the match back to all square. With the balance restored, the championship was left to the final nine holes.

Yokoo struck first at the 29th hole, moving 1 up, and steadily tightened his grip. By the 33rd hole, he had extended the lead to 2 up, forcing Taniguchi to chase as the match entered its decisive phase.

Pressure peaked at the 35th hole (the 17th). Yokoo made bogey, briefly opening the door, but Taniguchi failed to capitalize, also dropping a stroke. The exchange ended the contest on the spot, with Yokoo sealing victory two up with one hole to play.

Afterward, the champion smiled and said simply, “I like the wind.”

That day, in the Nidom forest, as fierce winds twisted and shifted like a living being, the spirit of Nispa favored the young player who read them best.

Ai Miyazato wanted this victory—no matter what. In her rookie season on the U.S. tour, she made the cut in 19 events, yet her best finish was third at the U.S. Women’s PGA Championship. The results showed promise, but Miyazato still wanted to show Japanese fans how far she had come. Choosing America as her main stage was her own decision—and this was her way of proving it, to herself and to those who believed in her.

She began the final round holding a one-shot lead. Trouble struck at the 2nd and 8th holes, where errant shots found the forest. But each time, Miyazato responded with superb recovery play. Refusing to panic, she stayed patient, absorbing the pressure and waiting for her chances. When they came, she took them—carding three crucial birdies.

At the 18th hole, victory secured, Miyazato raised her fist high in triumph.

At Nidom, she had not simply won—she had claimed the title with intent. It was the second domestic major championship of her career, and one she earned with unwavering resolve.

On the final day, in the final group, Prayad Marksaeng teed off with a three-shot lead over second place. Driving rain lashed across his face, a reminder of just how demanding the course had been over the previous three days. And now, the weather turned even harsher. Yet rather than retreat into caution, Marksaeng chose to press forward.

His opening tee shot at the first hole reflected that resolve—piercing the storm and finding the very center of the fairway. With his second shot, he set the ball down four meters left of the pin. The eagle putt slipped by, but a tap-in birdie gave him the perfect start.

On the front nine, Marksaeng posted three birdies against a single bogey. Behind him, tour rookie Toru Taniguchi stumbled early, turning at one over par. Tsuyoshi Yoneyama, fresh from competing in the U.S. Senior Open, held his ground with an all-par front nine, but made no inroads on the leader. Ryoken Kawagishi—nicknamed “the Monster”—started alongside Marksaeng in the final pairing but faltered to a front-nine 40. Toshimitsu Izawa, another tour rookie hoping for a final-day charge, dropped two bogeys and failed to gain momentum. Across the field, even proven contenders struggled under the tournament’s major-level setup.

The back nine unfolded with relentless control. Marksaeng managed the course with precision, stacking pars and offering no opening to his challengers. By the 14th hole—a 421-yard par 4 with a dogleg guarded by trees on the left—his lead had grown to six. Attempting to skirt the encroaching forest, he pulled his tee shot into the OB zone. But fate intervened: the ball struck a tree beyond the OB stakes and ricocheted back into play. He escaped with a bogey.

A wayward drive at the 15th hinted at mounting pressure, but that momentary ripple was the last sign of danger. At the par-4 16th, Marksaeng struck his approach pin-high and converted the birdie. A closing bogey at the final hole mattered little. His total of five under par secured a commanding five-shot victory.

With that, Prayad Marksaeng claimed his third consecutive title—becoming only the third player in history to do so. Taniguchi finished second, left to rue a missed opportunity in his senior debut.

Rain, fierce winds, deep, clinging rough, and a long, unforgiving layout—this was a battle on every front. As Marksaeng lifted the trophy high, the northern skies finally softened, sunlight breaking through the clouds. Another unforgettable chapter was etched into Nidom’s tournament history.