| | |  News from Around Banderas Bay 
Kenji Murayama Wins The Eighth Round Of The Negra Modelo Tour
 RivieraNayarit.com
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November 21, 2010
| | "This is the best moment of my life. I'm really going to celebrate it for a long time, as I'd been really close and I deserve it", mentioned Kenji upon winning. (RivieraNayarit.com) | |
Kenji Murayama became a professional champion for the first time after conquering last month's eighth round of the Negra Modelo Tour and defeating Cesar Coello at the playoff hole. Murayama registered 66 strokes, which propelled him to the first position along with Coello, both scoring 14 under par after three rounds at the 7,239-yard El Tigre golf course.
"This is the best moment of my life. I'm really going to celebrate it for a long time, as I'd been really close and I deserve it", mentioned Kenji upon winning. On four previous consecutive occasions Murayama had ranked in the honor group, without obtaining the title. "I stayed calm and despite my mistake (he hit a water hazard from his tee shot, while being on sudden death), I remained serene", he added.
On this sudden death playoff, Kenji went first, hooked and landed on a water hazard, while Cesar sliced, just like he had done a few minutes earlier before the playoff and landed in the bunker. Coello's second shot was perfect and he left the ball 255 yards from the pin, while Kenji (after the water hazard penalty) made his fourth shot at 235 yards, missing the green and landing on the bunker behind. However, he then made a spectacular shot that landed as a gimme, forcing Cesar to make an 11-yard putt just to tie again.
Coello was betrayed by the tension, and surprisingly needed three putts to finish with a double-bogey, thereby losing the title. Kenji rolled the ball in and became the seventh champion this year at the Negra Modelo Tour presented by Riviera Nayarit.
 Statistically speaking, Kenji had six birdies that day (holes 1, 2, 7, 8, 10 and 13), and finished with a score of 66 or 14 under par in the tournament. "I'm very pleased, this is something I've been working for since I became a professional in 2008, and it finally happened. I had a solid game today with very good shots, especially the approach ones, which were key to win", commented 27 year-old Murayama.
With this title, Kenji is now fighting for the place that the Negra Modelo Tour is offering at the Mayakoba Golf Classic, a PGA Tour tournament that will be played in our country in February 2011. It's important to keep in mind that the tournaments in Mazatlan (the previous stage), Riviera Nayarit and Vallescondido (the final tournament) are the only ones that will count to gain a pass to the international field.
Oscar Serna finished third, with 11 under par in the tournament. At a given point he was tied with the other two leaders, but a mistake at the 16th hole set him back and he didn't have a chance to recover.
COURSE DETAILS
Yardage: 6,649
Par: 72
Phone: 01 (322) 297-0773
Address: Paseo Paraíso 800 Casa Club El Tigre
Designed by: Robert von Hagge
Information provided by GREG Comunicación en Golf, S.C., (Esteban Galván J. and Eduardo Guillén S.)
About Riviera Nayarit: Mexico’s newest destination, Riviera Nayarit, stretches along 192 miles of pristine Pacific coast framed by the majestic Sierra Madre Mountains just ten minutes north of accessible Puerto Vallarta International Airport. The region extends along the entire coast of the Pacific state of Nayarit including the resorts of Nuevo Vallarta, the historic colonial town of San Blas, exclusive Punta Mita, picturesque fishing villages, miles of serene beaches and spectacular Banderas Bay. Riviera Nayarit offers countless activities, all pleasantly affordable, such as: PGA golf courses, luxury spas, whale watching, turtle release, zip lining, surfing, record deep sea fishing, bird watching, international cuisine, and shopping for local artwork and traditional Huichol handicrafts. The region attracts and satisfies vacationers of all tastes and budgets with its wide range of accommodations including chic luxury resorts, eco-tourism boutique hotels and quaint B&B inns. Visit the website at RivieraNayarit.com
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