Australia’s Lucas Herbert shrugged off a late arrival into Japan to edge Canada’s Aaron Cockerill in a playoff and win the ISPS Handa Championship on Sunday.
Travel issues meant that Herbert only arrived at Ishioka Golf Club in Omitama, near Tokyo, one day before the DP World Tour began its first-ever competition in Japan.
But he held his nerve to outlast Cockerill on the second hole of the playoff, sinking a birdie to claim his third victory on the Tour.
“It felt like if I didn’t take that chance, it was going to fall away,” Herbert said after recovering from a wayward tee shot to sink the decisive putt from 12 feet. “I just knew I had to take advantage of it when I had it.”
A superb birdie on the second play-off hole to secure victory 🏆
Congratulations @lhgolf5 👏#ISPSHandaChampionship pic.twitter.com/56WThJKtw8
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) April 23, 2023
Herbert started the final day one shot behind Cockerill but made his intentions clear with an eagle on the 5th hole.
The 27-year-old did not play a practice round after arriving late in Japan but he credited caddy Nick Pugh for guiding him around the course.
“I was arguing with him on lines because it definitely looked wrong but he was like ‘no no no, definitely hit it here’,” said Herbert, whose last win on the tour came in 2021 in Dubai.
“That’s just a testament to how good he is.”
Cockerill went into the final day with a one-shot lead but he fell behind before two late birdies put him back into contention.
He forced a playoff with a superb recovery from the bunker on the 18th hole to finish on 15 under, but could not keep up with Herbert when it counted.
Herbert said his “hands were shaking all over the place” on his final putt but he proved his worth as the highest-ranked player in the competition.
“I probably tried to tell myself a lot this week that I was the best-ranked player here,” said the world No 59, who could move up to just outside the top 40 with the win.
“That got me through a lot of those tough moments where I didn’t have the confidence to hit the shots that I thought I could.”
Scotland’s Calum Hill finished alone in third on 14 under, one shot ahead of compatriot Grant Forrest and Japan’s Hiroshi Iwata.
South Africa’s Deon Germishuys shot a final-round 68 to finish on 10 under for a share of ninth position.
© Agence France-Presse
