Keita Nakajima, who is ranked number one in the world amateur ranking, practiced the day before the "Japan Open", which decides the best male golfer in Japan, will open in Shiga Prefecture on the 14th.

The "Japan Open", which will be held for the first time in two years with spectators, will be held at the "Biwako Country Club" in Ritto City, Shiga Prefecture, where the courses from No. 1 to No. 9 have been renovated for the tournament. It will be held from 14th to 4 days.



Greg Norman, a well-known player of the past, was in charge of designing the refurbished course, and the long distance par 4 No. 3 and par 5 No. 8 required both shot distance and accuracy. increase.



On the other hand, in the 6th par 4 where you can aim for one-on, new bunkers and ponds will be installed, and the course strategy of the players will be the key.



On the 13th, the players held a practice round, and 21-year-old Nakajima, who won the fifth amateur victory in history on the domestic tour last month, carefully checked the position to aim for in the tee shot and the slope of the green. ..



After the practice round, Nakajima said, "It's difficult to set up, but I want to take on the challenge. I want to fight with the theme of facing myself and participate in the battle for victory."



In addition, Yuki Inamori, who is aiming for the second straight victory, and Rikuya Hoshino, the representative of the Tokyo Olympics, will participate in the tournament, and NHK will broadcast the tournament live on general TV and BS1 for 4 days. increase.

Greg Norman refurbishes the course

The Biwako Country Club, which will be the venue for the Japan Open Golf Championship, has been renovated from holes 1 to 9 for this tournament, and was designed by Greg Norman, a well-known player of the past.



Born in Australia and active in the 1980s and 90s, Norman has won a total of 20 American tours, including winning the British Open twice, and is the nickname for "White Shark," which means great white shark. Was familiar with.



Norman, who sent a video message to NHK through the Japan Golf Association, said, "The success of Japanese players such as Hideki Matsuyama, who won the Masters, is of great interest. I am just impressed with Japan's passion for golf. , Matsuyama and Keita Nakajima, who are amateurs, show how good Japanese golf is, "he said.



On top of that, "The Japan Open is one of the best tournaments in the country. The course I was involved in renovating is prepared to be a good test for the best players. The tournament will be a great success. I looked forward to the efforts of the players on the course that I had renovated.