In Japan, Jbe’ Kruger closed the Mitsui Sumitomo Visa Taiheiyo Masters with a one-over-par 71 on Sunday to finish on two-under for the Japan Golf Tour tournament in a share of 12th.
The tournament was won by Ryo Ishikawa on the second hole of a sudden-death play-off as he ended a three-year title drought. Kruger climbed to 38th on the money rankings after playing his 19th tournament on the tour. He was won nearly R2.3-million this year.
In the United States, Retief Goosen closed with a one-under-par 70 on Sunday to finish in seventh in the PGA Tour Champions season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship
It took an eagle on the final hole for him to get into red figures for his round, and, at 14-under-par for the week, he was 27 strokes behind the runaway winner, Padraig Harrington. Harrington carded a six-under 65 to move to 27-under and a seven-stroke margin over Germany’s Alex Cjeka. He was eight clear of Steven Alker of New Zealand who held on to the number-one spot in the Charles Schwab Cup rankings ahead of Harrington.
Goosen climbed seven places on the rankings to 12th. Ernie Els, who didn’t play the tournament, finished the season in eighth.
Elsewhere in the United States, Ashleigh Buhai battled to a closing five-over-par 75 in the Pelican Women’s Championship in Florida on the LPGA Tour. That gave her a share of 37th. Paula Reto missed the cut. Nelly Korda of the United States won and returned to world number one.
On the PGA Tour, MJ Daffue, Dylan Frittelli, Dean Burmester and Garrick Higgo all missed the cut in the Cadence Bank Houston Open in Texas, while Erik van Rooyen withdrew during the second round.
On the Asian Tour, Jaco Ahlers just missed out on a top-20 finish in the International Series Egypt with his closing one-under-par 69 taking him to 10-under for the tournament and a share of 21st. That put him 13 strokes behind the winner, Andy Ogletree of the United States, who took his first professional title after the first full season of playing in the LIV Golf series. Ian Snyman was in a share of 27th, Mathiam Keyser in 33rd and Tristen Strydom in 63rd. Zimbabwean brothers Kieran and Scott Vincent were in ninth and 33rd respectively.
