Overview
- At Nikko Country Club, the 27-year-old shot 70-70-69-68 for a 3-under 277, then made par on the first extra hole to defeat Satoshi Hara.
- The victory vaulted Kataoka from No. 500 to No. 355 in the Official World Golf Ranking.
- He will make his first appearances at both majors, set for April 9–12 at Augusta National and July 16–19 at Royal Birkdale.
- Augusta National and The R&A recently replaced automatic spots for FedEx Cup Fall winners with places for selected national open champions, including the Japan Open.
- Other designated events include the Australian, Hong Kong and South African Opens, and recent beneficiaries include Marco Penge via the Spanish Open.