Kazuki Higa drew on every ounce of his experience to fend off a strong chasing pack and win the Shinhan Donghae Open today for the second time in his career.

The Japanese star carded a final-round four-under-par 68 at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club in Korea to finish at 18-under, edging Canadian Richard T. Lee and Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent by a single stroke.

Lee closed with a 67, while Vincent, the Asian Tour Order of Merit leader, posted a 68. Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho and Thailand’s Danthai Boonma tied for fourth after both signed off with 68s.

Back-nine drama tests Higa under pressure

Higa, who won this event in 2022 when it was staged in Japan, started with four straight birdies and was three ahead at the turn. But pressure mounted on the back nine as Lee and Vincent closed in.

On the par-five 18th, Lee found water off the tee and Vincent landed in a fairway bunker, giving Higa the upper hand. Despite pitching long with his third, Higa calmly chipped to two feet and tapped in for par to secure victory.

“Very relieved to win,” said Higa, who at 158 cm is one of the shortest players in the field. “It got a little tough. There were a few missed shots and a lot of pressure on the back nine. I am glad my game held up. It’s the first time I have won an event twice.”

Career milestone and tour implications

The win gives Higa his eighth Japan Golf Tour title, with four coming during his breakout 2022 season, when his Shinhan Donghae triumph helped him top the money list. Remarkably, nearly all of his victories have come from leading from the front.

Higa noted he has been working on adding distance since his 2022 win. “The past two years I have been training and changed clubs to be able to hit longer. There has been a lot of testing, a lot of trial and error. I have focused on speed and a strong mentality to realise my potential,” he said.

Lee, who nearly forced a playoff despite his errant drive on 18, accepted the result. “I didn’t really have many mistakes except for that last tee shot. I made a good run today to catch up to Higa and yeah, no regrets,” he said.

Vincent birdied his last two holes to stay atop the Asian Tour’s Merit standings. “To come within one just shows how small the margins are,” he said. “It was an awesome week. I played great. Just have to build from this and keep going.”

The Asian Tour now heads to Chinese-Taipei for the Yeangder TPC at Linkou International Golf & Country Club, starting Thursday. Defending champion Suteepat Prateeptienchai enters in strong form after winning the Mandiri Indonesia Open two weeks ago.