One week after finishing second at the Soudal Open, Japanese golfer Kota Kaneko made sure to walk away with a win in Austria.

The 23-year-old won his first DP World Tour title at the 2026 Austrian Alpine Open presented by Kitzbühel Tirol. He finished the tournament at 18-under par, two shots ahead of Ricardo Gouveia and Davis Bryant, who shared second place.

"I just can't believe it," Kaneko said. "I didn't think I would win, and I'm still very surprised."

The DP World Tour celebrated his win on X and highlighted his 2025 JGTO Order of Merit win.

This was anything but an easy win for Kaneko. After a 71-minute weather delay, he was tied with Davis Bryant at 17-under par near the end of the tournament.

At the par-3 16th hole, Kaneko got into trouble but made a chip shot from off the green to take back the lead.

Before the final round, he had built a strong position with three straight rounds of 65. In each of those rounds, he made six birdies and only one bogey. He stayed consistent even as other players put pressure on him near the top of the leaderboard.

Bryant made a bogey on the final hole, giving Kaneko a two-shot lead. The Japanese player then made par on the remaining holes to secure the victory.

Ricardo Gouveia and Davis Bryant were tied for second place at 16-under par. Home favorite Bernd Wiesberger, Gregorio De Leo, and Rafa Cabrera Bello finished one shot further back at 15-under par.

This was Kaneko's first tournament win outside Japan. The title punctuates a rapid ascent for the 23-year-old on the global stage.

Kaneko Went From Japan's Order of Merit to DP World Tour Winner in One Season

Kaneko finished top of the Japan Golf Tour Order of Merit last season. Thanks to that success, he earned a DP World Tour card.

In his first season on the DP World Tour, he has made the cut in 10 of his 12 tournaments. This shows how well he has adapted to playing golf in Europe.

Kaneko came to Austria after finishing tied for second place at the Soudal Open in Belgium the week before. For two weeks in a row, he was near the top of the leaderboard and showed that he could handle the pressure on the final day of a European Tour event.

This time, he finished the job and won the tournament.

"I've been putting really well, and also my tee shots have been great," he stated. "I've given myself a lot of chances, and I took advantage of those."

Within a week, Kaneko finished as a runner-up in Belgium and grabbed a title in Austria.

What do you think, can Kota Kaneko go on to win multiple DP World Tour titles? Let us know in the comments.

Read more at Club Golf.

Written by

Sneha Abraham

Edited by

Sijo Paul