Golf
Dermot Gilleece recalls the spectacular victory of the Japanese in the 1957 tournament
Japanese hit Canada Cup headlines on Olympic course Characterised by its challenging narrow fairways, Kasumigaseki –venue for the recent Olympics tournament -- played host to the first major international golf event to be held in Asia, when the Canada Cup, later the World Cup of Golf, was staged there in 1957.
For the superstitious among us, golf in the Tokyo Olympics carried good and bad omens for our participating players. As we have already discovered from the efforts of Ireland’s men and women practitioners, the good stuff remains some way down the line, hopefully in the Paris Olympics of 2024.
The 5ft. 4in Torakichi Nakamura in driving action
The east course at Kasumigaseki gained considerable pre-Olympic popularity through its association with Hideki Matsuyama, who became the first Japanese winner of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National last April. I had learned of a previous distinction for the venue, however, as the author of Harry Bradshaw’s biography, 34 years ago. As it happened, Kasumigaseki GC played host to the first major international golf event to be held in Asia, when the Canada Cup, later the World Cup of Golf, was staged there in 1957. Sadly, from an Irish standpoint, it also became the only occasion when our participating competitors were unable to complete their playing commitments. The Brad and Christy O’Connor Snr came together for the first time in the 1956 Canada
The Japanese pair of Torakichi Nakamura, standing only 5ft 4ins, and Koichi Ono revelled in the conditions and won the 1957 Canada Cup by nine strokes from Sam Snead and Jimmy Demaret, representing the US
Cup at Wentworth in Surrey. Given their fine effort in finishing in a share of 10th place behind the legendary American duo of Ben Hogan and Sam Snead, it was entirely predictable that Himself and The Brad were retained for the long trip to Tokyo the following year.
46 Senior Times l September - October 2021 l www.seniortimes.ie
The Japan staging was described by the celebrated American scribe, Herbert Warren Wind of Sports Illustrated, as ‘the most important international sports event ever held in the Far East.’ We’re told that the Kasumigaseki greens were covered in bales
