The Crowns

Summary

The Crowns (中日クラウンズ, Chūnichi kuraunzu) is a professional golf tournament that is played over Nagoya Golf Club's Wagō Course in Tōgō, Aichi, Japan. Founded in 1960, it has been an event on the Japan Golf Tour schedule since the tour's first season in 1973.

The Crowns
Tournament information
LocationTōgō, Aichi, Japan
Established1960
Course(s)Nagoya Golf Club
(Wagō Course)
Par70
Length6,557 yards (5,996 m)
Tour(s)Japan Golf Tour
Prize fund¥110,000,000
Month playedApril
Tournament record score
Aggregate260 Masashi Ozaki (1995)
To par−20 as above
Current champion
Japan Hiroshi Iwata
Location map
Nagoya GC is located in Japan
Nagoya GC
Nagoya GC
Location in Japan
Nagoya GC is located in Aichi Prefecture
Nagoya GC
Nagoya GC
Location in the Aichi Prefecture

History edit

The Crowns was established as the Invitation by Chūbu Japan, All Japan Amateur and Professional Golf Championship (中部日本招待全日本アマ・プロゴルフ選手権) in 1960.[1] The concept of the championship was competition among amateur and professional golf players. It has been played over the Wagō Course at Nagoya Golf Club every year except between 1962 and 1965, during which time it was held at Aichi Country Club (1962 and 1965) and Miyoshi Country Club (1963 and 1964).

From the 10th anniversary in 1969 to the 50th anniversary in 2009, the tournament's official name was "International Invitational Golf THE CROWNS (国際招待ゴルフ 中日クラウンズ, Kokusai shōtai gorufu Chūnichi kuraunzu)", as organizers invited international golfers. Winners during this time include major champions Peter Thomson, David Graham, Scott Simpson, Greg Norman, Seve Ballesteros, Davis Love III, Darren Clarke and Justin Rose.

The tournament record is 260 (20 under par), set by Masashi Ozaki in 1995. In 2010, Ryo Ishikawa recorded a Tour record final round of 58 (12 under par) to take the title by five strokes. From 2002 to 2019 the purse was ¥120,000,000 with ¥24,000,000 going to the winner. This was reduced to ¥100,000,000 in 2021.

Winners edit

Year Winner Score To par Margin of
victory
Runner(s)-up
The Crowns
2023   Hiroshi Iwata (2) 265 −15 3 strokes   Rikuya Hoshino
2022   Yuki Inamori 264 −16 3 strokes   Hwang Jung-gon
2021   Hiroshi Iwata 198[a] −12 3 strokes   Katsumasa Miyamoto
2020 Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2019   Katsumasa Miyamoto 271 −9 1 stroke   Shugo Imahira
2018   Yang Yong-eun 268 −12 4 strokes   Hwang Jung-gon
  Anthony Quayle
2017   Yūsaku Miyazato 267 −13 1 stroke   Yoshinori Fujimoto
  Toru Taniguchi
2016   Kim Kyung-tae 270 −10 Playoff   Daisuke Kataoka
2015   Jang Ik-jae (2) 270 −10 4 strokes   Tomohiro Kondo
  Hideto Tanihara
  Kazuhiro Yamashita
2014   Kim Hyung-sung 269 −11 4 strokes   Jang Ik-jae
2013   Michio Matsumura 278 −2 1 stroke   Hideki Matsuyama
2012   Jang Ik-jae 272 −8 2 strokes   Steven Conran
  Yoshikazu Haku
2011   Brendan Jones 271 −9 Playoff   Jang Ik-jae
2010   Ryo Ishikawa 267 −13 5 strokes   Hiroyuki Fujita
  Paul Sheehan
2009   Tetsuji Hiratsuka 263 −17 7 strokes   Kenichi Kuboya
2008   Tomohiro Kondo 271 −9 Playoff   Hiroyuki Fujita
2007   Hirofumi Miyase 278 −2 Playoff   Toru Taniguchi
2006   Shingo Katayama (2) 262 −18 2 strokes   Nozomi Kawahara
2005   Naomichi Ozaki 269 −11 Playoff   Steven Conran
2004   Shingo Katayama 264 −16 2 strokes   Paul Sheehan
2003   Hidemasa Hoshino 270 −10 3 strokes   Toshimitsu Izawa
  Zaw Moe
  Taichi Teshima
2002   Justin Rose 266 −14 5 strokes   Prayad Marksaeng
2001   Darren Clarke 267 −13 4 strokes   Keiichiro Fukabori
  Shinichi Yokota
2000   Hidemichi Tanaka 272 −8 5 strokes   Mitsutaka Kusakabe
1999   Yasuharu Imano 271 −9 1 stroke   Naomichi Ozaki
1998   Davis Love III 269 −11 8 strokes   Rick Gibson
  Masanobu Kimura
  Brian Watts
1997   Masashi Ozaki (5) 267 −13 2 strokes   Brian Watts
1996   Masashi Ozaki (4) 268 −12 4 strokes   Katsuyoshi Tomori
1995   Masashi Ozaki (3) 260 −20 5 strokes   Nobuo Serizawa
1994   Roger Mackay 269 −11 2 strokes   Naomichi Ozaki
1993   Peter Senior 270 −10 1 stroke   Gary Hallberg
  Masashi Ozaki
1992   Masashi Ozaki (2) 270 −10 4 strokes   Brent Franklin
  Peter Senior
1991   Seve Ballesteros 275 −5 1 stroke   Roger Mackay
1990   Noboru Sugai 276 −4 Playoff   Steve Pate
1989   Greg Norman 272 −8 3 strokes   Blaine McCallister
  Koichi Suzuki
1988   Scott Simpson (2) 278 −2 3 strokes   David Ishii
  Masashi Ozaki
1987   Masashi Ozaki 268 −12 6 strokes   Isao Aoki
  Ian Baker-Finch
  Masahiro Kuramoto
  Yoshitaka Yamamoto
Chunichi Crowns
1986   David Ishii 274 −6 4 strokes   Tsuneyuki Nakajima
1985   Seiji Ebihara 276 −4 2 strokes   Tsuneyuki Nakajima
1984   Scott Simpson 275 −5 Playoff   Isao Aoki
1983   Chen Tze-ming 280 E Playoff   Kikuo Arai
  David Ishii
1982   Gary Hallberg 272 −8 3 strokes   Shigeru Uchida
1981   Graham Marsh (2) 277 −3 2 strokes   D. A. Weibring
1980   Isao Aoki (5) 280 E 2 strokes   Graham Marsh
1979   Isao Aoki (4) 279 −1 1 stroke   Tōru Nakamura
  Haruo Yasuda
1978   Isao Aoki (3) 270 −10 5 strokes   Masashi Ozaki
1977   Graham Marsh 280 E 4 strokes   Kenji Mori
1976   David Graham 276 −4 1 stroke   Yasuhiro Miyamoto
1975   Isao Aoki (2) 272 −8 1 stroke   Teruo Sugihara
1974   Takashi Murakami 272 −8 6 strokes   Masashi Ozaki
1973   Isao Aoki 270 −10 1 stroke   Lu Liang-Huan
1972   Peter Thomson (2) 266 −14 6 strokes   Terry Kendall
1971   Lu Liang-Huan 274 −6 3 strokes   Peter Thomson
1970   Haruo Yasuda (2) 268 −12 3 strokes   Teruo Suzumura
1969   Peter Thomson 274 −6 Playoff   Tadashi Kitta
1968   Haruo Yasuda 278 −2 Playoff   Hisashi Suzumura
1967   Hsieh Yung-yo 273 −7 1 stroke   Hisashi Suzumura
1966   Shigeru Uchida 274 −6 1 stroke   Tadashi Kitta
  Haruyoshi Kobari
1965   Tadashi Kitta (2) 291 −5 1 stroke   Teruo Sugihara
1964   Teruo Sugihara 294 +6 1 stroke   Torakichi Nakamura
1963   Kenji Hosoishi 290 +2 2 strokes   Teruo Sugihara
1962   Tadashi Kitta 299 +3 1 stroke   Torakichi Nakamura
1961   Tomoo Ishii 280 E Playoff   Orville Moody
1960   Torakichi Nakamura 277 −3 1 stroke   Koichi Ono

Sources:[2][3]

Notes edit

  1. ^ Shortened to 54 holes due to weather.

References edit

  1. ^ hicbc.com:中日クラウンズ 50年の歴史|第1回大会
  2. ^ "The Crowns 2019 – Past Champions". Japan Golf Tour Organisation. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
  3. ^ "The Crowns". Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting (in Japanese). Retrieved 11 March 2020.

External links edit

  • Coverage on the Japan Golf Tour's official site
  • The Crowns tournament's winners list (in Japanese)