The Bridgestone Open was held over four days from Thursday, Oct. 23 to Sunday, Oct. 26 on the Sodegaura course (7,138 yards, par 72) of the Sodegaura Country Club in Chiba Prefecture. On the first day, Yano finished in second place by posting an excellent score of 65. He continued his fine play on the second day by bagging six birdies with no bogeys to shoot a 66 and take sole control of first place at 13 under.

Yano, who up to last week had finished in the top 10 for seven tournaments in a row, had the following to say about his great play. "Being able to be in the top stop is great. Compared with the seven previous tournaments, I've actually felt best this week. I've been able to play without anything throwing me off my game."

Just as he stated, on the third day Yano displayed a steady game with four birdies and no bogeys. He further lowered his score to 16 under and held on to sole possession of the top spot with a two-stroke cushion. The last day was expected to be a birdie challenge. Yano knew that he would have to further improve his score if he was going to hang on to the lead.

After beginning to use the PRGR Silver Blade (SB-03CS) putter, Yano's previous putting feel returned and become even sharper which helped him recover his strength and confidence in sinking big putts. On the last day, he pulled away with three consecutive birdies starting from the 9th hole and finished with six birdies and one bogey for a 67. In an overwhelming performance in which his scores were in the 60s for all four days, he finished at 21 under with a four-stroke lead. The win was his second of the season and his third tour victory overall.

"To get two wins in eight weeks is really great. I've been motivating myself to focus on winning, and being able to get a victory gives me even more confidence." With the win, Yano exceeded 100 million yen in winnings and rose up to No. 2 on the money list. This victory also pushed Yano into the top money leader range for the first time. If he can stretch his record of finishing in the top 10 for eight tournaments in a row even further, this will also definitely strengthen his bid for the money leader title.

As he headed for the clubhouse, Yano said, "I'll do my best to get a win next week, too." There are only six tournaments left on the tour this season. You can be sure that everyone will be watching closely to see whether Yano can continue to extend his record.