BUSAN, SOUTH KOREA – Ryo Ishikawa finally registered in the win column but Japan lost to South Korea by a score of 11.5-8.5 in the Million Yard Cup team event on Sunday.
Tied with five points each going into the final day, South Korea added 6.5 points to its tally by taking six of 10 singles matches with one tie at Jeongsan Country Club.
Ishikawa bounced back from losses in the foursome and the fourball competition over the previous two days with a win over Kang Kyung Nam.
The 19-year-old Japanese star shot a 4-under 68 against Kang’s 70.
Hiroo Kawai and Tadahiro Takayama also picked up wins for the visitors, but South Korea secured victory when Japan-based Kim Kyung Tae collected a half point for a draw with Hiroyuki Fujita in the second-to-last group, giving the hosts an insurmountable lead at 10.5-8.5.
“I didn’t win a single point for my team in the first two days, so I couldn’t meet the expectations the team had for me,” said Ishikawa. “On average, South Korean players might be better than us at present, but you never know we might turn that around in the near future.”