Ryo Hisatsune claims maiden DP World Tour win with TaylorMade
Japan's Ryo Hisatsune shot a scintillating back nine 30 to claim his first win on Tour at the Cazoo Open de France.
Starting the day four shots back from overnight leaders Jordan Smith and Ewen Ferguson, Japan's Ryo Hisatsune, put his foot on the accelerator heading into the back nine on Sunday, carding five birdies to finish 14 under to seal his maiden DP World Tour victory at the Cazoo Open de France.
In winning, Hisatsune, 21, became only the third Japanese player to win on the DP World Tour, and he did so in style.
Two birdies and two bogeys on the front nine of Le Golf National kept him within touching distance of the lead before an inspirational run on the back nine saw him card five birdies to come back in 30 and win by two strokes.
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The win marks Hisatsune's first victory, on only his 25th start on the DP World Tour, having gained his card through qualifying school last year. Enjoying an excellent rookie season, he has recorded seven top-10 finishes, including his win on Sunday.
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The victory has also seen him jump up 26 spots in the Race to Dubai rankings to 11th place, leaving him in an excellent spot to compete for a PGA TOUR card for the 2024 season, on offer to the top ten DP World Tour members not already exempt at the end of the season.
The moment Ryo Hisatsune claimed his first DP World Tour title in only his 25TH appearance #CazooOpenDeFrance pic.twitter.com/DEPYiy6j2J
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) September 24, 2023
A notoriously challenging course, Le Golf National demands elite iron play to be overcome. Thankfully, Hisatsune and his TaylorMade P·7MC irons were up to the task. Hitting 79 per cent of greens in regulation throughout the week, he gained +2.17 stokes approach vs the field average and led the field in strokes gained total at +4.04.
Ryo Hisatsune: WITB 2023
Driver: TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus (10.5 degrees; Fujikura Ventus Red 7 X)
3-Wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus (15 degrees; Fujikura Ventus Black 8 X)
Irons: TaylorMade P·7MC (4-PW) True Temper Project X 6.5
Wedges: TaylorMade MG2 (52 SB) MG3 (56 SB) MG4 (TW) True Temper Project X 6.5 (56) True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue (52 & 60)
Putter: Odyssey Black Series iX 9
Ball: TaylorMade TP5x