Kazuki Higa showed why he is currently ranked the number one player on the Japan Golf Tour when he birdied the final two holes to win the 38th Shinhan Donghae Open at Koma Country Club in Nara, near Osaka.

On a memorable final day, the Japanese star holed a pressure-packed 15-foot birdie putt on the short, driveable par-four 18th to return a six-under-par 65 final round in the KRW1,400,000,000 event. Higa's total of 20-under-par 264 gave him a two-shot victory over Thailand's Tirawat Kaewsiribandit, Korean Mingyu Cho and Yonggu Shin from Canada.

Tirawat, who started the day with a three-shot advantage and held a narrow lead for much of the day, closed with a 72 – which featured an incredible albatross at the par-five 3rd hole – while Cho fired a 66, and Shin a 68.

The event is tri-sanctioned by the Asian Tour, Korean PGA Tour and Japan Golf Tour, and this year marked the first time in its history it had been played in Japan. Korea’s PGA Tour star Siwoo Kim, playing in the final group, returned a 70 to end three behind the winner in a tie for fifth, along with 2019 champion Jbe Kruger from South Africa who signed off with a best of the day 63.

Playing in the penultimate group and trailing Tirawat by one with two to play, Higa birdied the par-five 17th to draw level before the under-pressure Thai golfer bogeyed the 16th to fall one behind.

However, Tirawat bravely bounced back with a birdie on the 17th to draw level again before Higa made his brilliant birdie on the last, where he found a greenside bunker from the tee before splashing out to set up his sensational closing putt.

Tirawat needed to make a birdie to force a sudden-death play-off and, after missing the green left with his tee shot, chipped to 10 feet - but the 32-year-old just missed the birdie putt before also seeing his short par putt slip by.

“I worked so hard during the off season, and it has really paid off,” said Higa, who received a cheque for USD$214,650. “I played well today, and hit some great approach shots, but the putts really were not dropping. But I trusted myself, made a lot of pars, and stayed confident.”

The 27-year-old Okinawan’s latest victory is another landmark moment in a career which continues to go from strength to strength and attract attention. He was victorious on the Asian Development Tour in 2017, the year he turned professional, and won again on that tour the following year.

Higa tasted victory next on the Japan Golf Tour in 2019 and 2021 before moving to the top of the Japan money list this season with wins at the Kansai Open Golf Championship in April and the BMW Japan Golf Tour Championship Mori Building Cup in June.

Malaysia's Nicholas Fung finished T27 on 13-under-par 271 (73-64-67-67), while compatriot Ben Leong was T49 on nine-under-par 275 (67-68-65-75).

The Asian Tour's stop is the Yeangder TPC at Linkou International Golf and Country Club in Chinese Taipei, from September 22-25.

Results (Top 10 and ties)
264 - Kazuki Higa (JPN) 66-63-70-65.
266 - Mingyu Cho (KOR) 68-65-67-66, Yonggu Shin (CAN) 68-64-66-68, Tirawat Kaewsiribandit (THA) 64-64-66-72.
267 - Jbe Kruger (RSA) 66-69-69-63, Riki Kawamoto (JPN) 66-65-71-65, Taehoon Kim (KOR) 69-67-65-66, Siwoo Kim (KOR) 65-65-67-70.
268 - Eunshin Park (KOR) 69-68-67-64, Hideto Tanihara (JPN) 66-69-67-66, Tomoharu Otsuki (JPN) 70-66-66-66, Ryosuke Kinoshita (JPN) 68-65-66-69, Sanghee Lee (KOR) 66-66-66-70.