OARAI, Japan, May 31 (Kyodo) — (EDS: ADDING DETAILS, QUOTES)

Tour veteran Takashi Kanemoto defeated Australia's Brendan Jones with a birdie on the third playoff hole at the Mitsubishi Diamond Cup on Sunday for his first career win.

The 38-year-old Kanemoto ended a 16-year drought as he knocked his second shot from a fairway bunker to about five feet to set up the birdie on the third extra hole -- the par-4 18th -- at Oarai Golf Club.

Jones missed his birdie attempt before Kanemoto sank his putt for a winner's paycheck of 30 million yen that brought him to the top of the 2008 money list.

"I didn't expect I could win at Oarai. A flood of memories came to my mind, such as tough times I went through," Kanemoto said. Oarai is known as one of the toughest golf courses on the JGTO tour.

"My father had just told me that I had to win sometime soon," he said.

Kanemoto was three strokes behind Jones after 10 holes in regulation but erased the gap with birdies on Nos. 12, 15 and 16 while the Australian settled for pars on the last eight holes.

Kanemoto shot a 5-under 67 and Jones had a 69 in the final round for a 5-under 283 total before both players made pars in the first two extra holes.

Defending champion Prayad Marksaeng of Thailand finished two strokes behind them in third place after a 68.

Taichi Teshima (67), Hiroshi Iwata (67) and Kaname Yokoo (68) were another shot back.

Toru Taniguchi closed with a 69 to tie for seventh at 1-under with South Korea's Kim Hyung Tae, who had the day's low score of 64. The two-time money title winner was making his season debut after dislocating his left shoulder in a car accident in February.

Shingo Katayama (68) shared 20th place at 4-over, while Ryo Ishikawa (70) tied for 30th at 6-over.