Tomoyo Ikemura has come within touching distance of golf’s biggest stages more than once, and this week at International Series Japan, the Japanese star is once again building toward another opportunity.
A consistent performer across the Asian Tour and The International Series, Ikemura has already shown he can contend in world-class fields. He finished tied third at last season’s Link Hong Kong Open, an International Series event that offered qualification spots into both this year’s Masters Tournament and The Open Championship.
He then recorded another tied-third finish at the 105th New Zealand Open presented by Millbrook Resort earlier this year, where a place into The 154th Open was also on the line.
“Playing well in events like New Zealand and Hong Kong gave me a lot of confidence,” he said. “Those experiences showed me that I can compete at that level.”
Back on home soil at Caledonian Golf Club for International Series Japan, the 28-year-old continued his steady form with a one-under-par third round to move to five-under for the tournament, keeping himself in the mix heading into the final day.
Reflecting on his round, Ikemura pointed to solid ball-striking as a key positive, despite a couple of costly errors.
“Overall, I felt like I played pretty solidly,” he said. “I’ve been hitting the ball well, and even my misses haven’t been too far off, so that’s been encouraging.
“The only real mistakes came on the back nine. On 12, I made bogey after a three-putt, I just didn’t have good distance control. Then on 13, I hit my tee shot into the water, which led to a triple bogey. Aside from those two holes, the rest of my play has been steady.”
With more opportunities ahead on The International Series calendar, Ikemura is clear on his focus, maximising his chances to turn those near-misses into a breakthrough.
“I’m trying my luck and testing my game again at the Singapore Open,” he said. “This year, I want to play more International Series events, give myself more opportunities, and hopefully work my way into those Major spots. Ultimately, my goal is to keep improving and, if possible, earn a place on LIV Golf in the future.”
