Overnight leader Akiko Fukushima matched par with a little help from the weather Sunday to come away with a two-stroke victory over Aki Nakano at the Nasu Ogawa Ladies golf tournament.
Fukushima carded two birdies and two bogeys at the Nasu Ogawa Golf Club to finish the 54-hole tourney with an 8-under-par 273 total, taking advantage of a 70-minute rain delay to pull her game together.
"The break really helped me since I was having trouble with my rhythm," the U.S. tour regular said.
Fukushima, who tied the Japan LPGA tour record with a bogey-free round of 63 Saturday, earned 9 million yen for her 14th victory in Japan and first victory on the local tour in two years.
Nakano, trailing Fukushima by a stroke before the final round, fell three strokes off the pace with a pair of bogeys on the front nine, then birdied the final hole for a 73 for and a 6-under 210.
Katayama wins Kirin
INA, Ibaraki Pref. (Kyodo) Shingo Katayama fired a fourth straight 1-under-par 70 Sunday to win the Kirin Open by two shots for his third career victory.
Katayama, who began the day one stroke behind overnight leader Hisayuki Sasaki, held firm in a round twice suspended by thunderstorms as he carded three birdies and two bogeys on the Ibaraki Country Club's East Course to finish at 4-under 280.
The 27-year-old former national collegiate champion earned 20 million yen from for winning the tournament, which doubled as the Asia-Pacific Open Golf Championship.
Andre Stolz of Australia matched the low round of the day with a 68 and finished tied for second at 282 with compatriot Peter Senior, who shot a 72, and first-round leader Lin Keng-chi of Taiwan, who had a 71.