Gene Sarazen Jun Classic

The Gene Sarazen Jun Classic, sometimes shortened to Jun Classic, was a professional golf tournament that was held in Japan from 1977 to 1999. It was an event on the Japan Golf Tour from 1978. It was named in honour of Gene Sarazen, and played at the Jun Classic Country Club and the Rope Club in Tochigi Prefecture.

Gene Sarazen Jun Classic

Tournament information
Location	Tochigi, Japan
Established	1977
Course(s)	Jun Classic Country Club
Par	71
Length	7,355 yards (6,725 m)
Tour(s)	Japan Golf Tour
Format	Stroke play
Prize fund	¥100,000,000
Month played	September
Final year	1999
Tournament record score
Aggregate	270 Satoshi Higashi (1995) 270 Todd Hamilton (1999)
To par	−18 as above
Final champion
Hajime Meshiai
Location map
Jun Classic CC Location in Japan Show map of Japan Jun Classic CC Location in the Tochigi Prefecture Show map of Tochigi Prefecture

Tournament hosts

Year(s)	Host course	Location
1977–1989, 1995–1996, 1999	Jun Classic Country Club	Ogawa, Tochigi
1990–1994, 1997–1998	Rope Club	Shioya, Tochigi

Winners

Year	Winner	Score	To par	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up	Ref.
Gene Sarazen Jun Classic
1999	Hajime Meshiai	277	−11	Playoff	Hirofumi Miyase
1998	Todd Hamilton	270	−18	2 strokes	Craig Parry
1997	Eduardo Herrera	276	−12	1 stroke	Toshiaki Odate
1996	Masashi Ozaki (5)	197[a]	−19	6 strokes	Takaaki Fukuzawa
1995	Satoshi Higashi	270	−18	1 stroke	Masashi Ozaki
1994	Carlos Franco	272	−16	2 strokes	Tsuneyuki Nakajima
1993	Toru Suzuki	276	−12	1 stroke	Tsuneyuki Nakajima Masashi Ozaki
1992	Chen Tze-chung	277	−11	Playoff	Masashi Ozaki
1991	Masashi Ozaki (4)	277	−11	Playoff	Ryoken Kawagishi
1990	Naomichi Ozaki	273	−11	1 stroke	Yoshinori Kaneko
1989	Tateo Ozaki	279	−9	Playoff	Naomichi Ozaki
1988	Tōru Nakamura	240[b]	−12	4 strokes	Nobuo Serizawa
1987	Masashi Ozaki (3)	204[a]	−12	5 strokes	Namio Takasu
1986	Masashi Ozaki (2)	279	−9	1 stroke	Masahiro Kuramoto
1985	Kazushige Kono Masahiro Kuramoto Payne Stewart	209[a]	−7	Title shared[c]
1984	Shinsaku Maeda	278	−10	1 stroke	Tateo Ozaki	[1]
1983	Masashi Ozaki	288	E	Playoff	Masahiro Kuramoto
1982	Teruo Sugihara	275	−13	3 strokes	Norio Suzuki	[2]
1981	Nobumitsu Yuhara	284	−4	1 stroke	Takaaki Kono	[3]
1980	Isao Aoki (2)	277	−11	1 stroke	Seve Ballesteros	[4]
1979	Kuo Chie-Hsiung	248[b]	−4	Playoff	Yasuhiro Funatogawa	[5]
1978	Kesahiko Uchida	281	−7	Playoff	Katsuji Hasegawa Shoji Kikuchi
Gene Sarazen Golf Classic
1977	Isao Aoki	277	−15	5 strokes	Shinsaku Maeda	[6]

Notes

1. Shortened to 54 holes due to weather.
2. Shortened to 63 holes due to weather.
3. Title shared after the final round was cancelled due to rain.

References

1. McCormack, Mark H. (1985). Ebel World of Professional Golf 1985. Springwood Books. pp. 240, 483–484. ISBN 0862541247.
2. "Sugihara wins Japan Jun Classic golf". The Des Moines Register. Des Moines, Iowa. AP. 4 October 1982. p. 6S. Retrieved 2 February 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
3. McCormack, Mark H. (1982). Dunhill World of Professional Golf 1982. Springwood Books. pp. 247, 481–482. ISBN 0862541018.
4. McCormack, Mark H. (1981). Dunhill World of Professional Golf 1981. Springwood Books. pp. 188, 413–414. ISBN 0862540054.
5. "Kuo edge out Funatogawa for victory". The Straits Times. 9 October 1979. p. 24. Retrieved 2 February 2021 – via National Library Board (Singapore).
6. "Japanese golf pro wins Sarazen by 5". Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. AP. 3 October 1977. p. B-9. Retrieved 2 February 2021 – via Newspapers.com.

External links

• Japan Golf Tour's Official site
• Home page of the Jun Classic C.C. (in Japanese)