Takahiro Hataji, who edged Scott Hend to win the New Zealand Open presented by Sky Sport earlier this year, has claimed his maiden title on the Japan Golf Tour – the Kansai Open Golf Championship.

The 30-year-old Japanese triumphed by three from countryman Yuta Sugiura at Meishin Yokaichi Country Club, Shiga Prefecture on Sunday.

Hataji started the final round one off the lead but came through with a three-under-par 67 to finish with a winning total of 14-under 266. He overcame a poor start, that saw him make bogeys on three and four, with a strong four-under-par back nine when he made back-to-back birdies twice.

It made amends for finishing runner-up in the same tournament last year and added to what is far and away the most successful season of his 10-year career.

K.J. Choi. Picture by Alex Slitz/Getty Images.

In March he won New Zealand’s National Open to become the first player from his country to raise the trophy. He beat Australia’s Hend by a shot after making key birdies down the stretch before Hend three putted 18.

Veteran KJ Choi, a six-time winner on the Asian Tour, rolled back the years on the Korean PGA Tour winning the SK Telecom Open yesterday.

He’d started the final round at Pinx Golf Club on Jeju Island with a five-shot advantage, but he was caught by Korean Park Sang-hyun – whom he eventually defeated on the second hole of a play-off.

At the age of 54 he is the oldest golfer to win a tournament on the Korean PGA Tour and it broke his 12-year drought on home soil.

Remarkably, the win came on his birthday.