Japan Golf Tour

Last updated
Japan Golf Tour
Current season, competition or edition:
Golf current event.svg 2025 Japan Golf Tour
Formerlyiiyama Tour
PGA of Japan Tour
Sport Golf
Founded1973
FounderPGA of Japan
First season1973
Director Isao Aoki
CountriesBased in Japan [a]
Most titlesMoney list titles:
Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg Masashi Ozaki (12)
Tournament wins:
Flag of Japan.svg Masashi Ozaki (94)
Related
competitions		 Japan Challenge Tour
Official website https://www.jgto.org/en

The Japan Golf Tour (Japanese : 日本ゴルフツアー機構) is a prominent professional golf tour. It was founded in 1973 and as of 2006, it offered the third-highest annual prize fund out of the regular (that is not for seniors) men's professional tours after the PGA Tour and the European Tour. However, since the early 1990s, the growth in prize money has not kept pace with that on the two larger tours. Official events on the Japan Golf Tour count for Official World Golf Ranking points and success on the tour can also qualify members to play in the majors.

Contents

Background

Most of the leading players on the tour are Japanese, but players from many other countries also participate. The tour is currently run by the Japan Golf Tour Organization (JGTO), which was established in 1999 to separate the tour from the PGA of Japan. [1] The JGTO also organises a developmental tour called the Japan Challenge Tour.

Masashi Ozaki has been the dominant player on tour, leading the career wins list with 94, the career money list with over ¥2 billion and winning the money title twelve times between 1973 and 1998. [2]

Entry to The Open Championship is given to Order of Merit winner and runner-up, Japan Open Golf Championship winner, two players not already exempt from the money list up to the Japan Golf Tour Championship and the top four non-exempt players from the Mizuno Open.

In 2000, the tour signed a title sponsorship agreement with Iiyama, being renamed as the iiyama Tour. The agreement was reported to be worth ¥ 1,500,000,000 over three years. [3]

In 2008, the tour ventured outside of Japan for the first time, co-sanctioning the Pine Valley Beijing Open in China, alongside the Asian Tour. [4] In 2013, the tour also co-sanctioned two events at the beginning of the year in Thailand and Indonesia with the OneAsia Tour. [5] [6]

In December 2022, a new agreement involving the JGTO, PGA Tour and European Tour was announced. As part of the deal, from 2023 onwards the top three on the Japan Golf Tour's season-ending money list earned status to play on the European Tour for the following season. [7] [8]

Money list winners

SeasonWinnerPrize money (¥)
2025 Flag of Japan.svg Kota Kaneko 120,231,009
2024 Flag of Japan.svg Takumi Kanaya 119,551,222
2023 Flag of Japan.svg Keita Nakajima 184,986,179
2022 Flag of Japan.svg Kazuki Higa 181,598,825
2020–21 Flag of the United States.svg Chan Kim 127,599,803
2019 Flag of Japan.svg Shugo Imahira (2)168,049,312
2018 Flag of Japan.svg Shugo Imahira 139,119,332
2017 Flag of Japan.svg Yūsaku Miyazato 182,831,982
2016 Flag of Japan.svg Yuta Ikeda 207,901,567
2015 Flag of South Korea.svg Kim Kyung-tae (2)165,981,625
2014 Flag of Japan.svg Koumei Oda 137,318,693
2013 Flag of Japan.svg Hideki Matsuyama 201,076,781
2012 Flag of Japan.svg Hiroyuki Fujita 175,159,972
2011 Flag of South Korea.svg Bae Sang-moon 151,078,958
2010 Flag of South Korea (1997-2011).svg Kim Kyung-tae 181,103,799
2009 Flag of Japan.svg Ryo Ishikawa 183,524,051
2008 Flag of Japan.svg Shingo Katayama (5)180,094,895
2007 Flag of Japan.svg Toru Taniguchi (2)171,744,498
2006 Flag of Japan.svg Shingo Katayama (4)178,402,190
2005 Flag of Japan.svg Shingo Katayama (3)134,075,280
2004 Flag of Japan.svg Shingo Katayama (2)119,512,374
2003 Flag of Japan.svg Toshimitsu Izawa (2)135,454,300
2002 Flag of Japan.svg Toru Taniguchi 145,440,341
2001 Flag of Japan.svg Toshimitsu Izawa 217,934,583
2000 Flag of Japan.svg Shingo Katayama 177,116,489
1999 Flag of Japan.svg Naomichi Ozaki (2)137,641,796
1998 Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg Masashi Ozaki (12)179,627,400
1997 Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg Masashi Ozaki (11)170,847,633
1996 Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg Masashi Ozaki (10)209,646,746
1995 Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg Masashi Ozaki (9)192,319,800
1994 Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg Masashi Ozaki (8)215,468,000
1993 Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg Hajime Meshiai 148,718,200
1992 Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg Masashi Ozaki (7)186,816,466
1991 Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg Naomichi Ozaki 119,507,974
1990 Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg Masashi Ozaki (6)129,060,500
1989 Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg Masashi Ozaki (5)108,715,733
1988 Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg Masashi Ozaki (4)125,162,540
1987 Flag of the United States.svg David Ishii 86,554,421
1986 Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg Tsuneyuki Nakajima (4)90,202,066
1985 Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg Tsuneyuki Nakajima (3)101,609,333
1984 Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg Shinsaku Maeda 57,040,357
1983 Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg Tsuneyuki Nakajima (2)85,514,183
1982 Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg Tsuneyuki Nakajima 68,220,640
1981 Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg Isao Aoki (5)57,262,941
1980 Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg Isao Aoki (4)60,532,660
1979 Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg Isao Aoki (3)45,554,211
1978 Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg Isao Aoki (2)62,987,200
1977 Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg Masashi Ozaki (3)35,932,608
1976 Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg Isao Aoki 40,985,801
1975 Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg Takashi Murakami 38,705,551
1974 Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg Masashi Ozaki (2)41,846,908
1973 Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg Masashi Ozaki 43,814,000

Multiple winners

RankPlayerWinsYears won
1 Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg Masashi Ozaki 12 1973, 1974, 1977, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998
T2 Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg Isao Aoki 5 1976, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981
Flag of Japan.svg Shingo Katayama 2000, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008
4 Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg Tsuneyuki Nakajima 4 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986
T5 Flag of Japan.svg Shugo Imahira 2 2018, 2019
Flag of Japan.svg Toshimitsu Izawa 2001, 2003
Flag of South Korea.svg Kim Kyung-tae 2010, 2015
Flag of Japan.svg Naomichi Ozaki 1991, 1999
Flag of Japan.svg Toru Taniguchi 2002, 2007

Awards

SeasonMost Valuable PlayerRookie of the Year
2025 Flag of Japan.svg Kota Kaneko Flag of Japan.svg Yuta Sugiura
2024 Flag of Japan.svg Takumi Kanaya Flag of Japan.svg Kensei Hirata
2023 Flag of Japan.svg Keita Nakajima Flag of Japan.svg Keita Nakajima
2022 Flag of Japan.svg Kazuki Higa Flag of Japan.svg Yuto Katsuragawa
2020–21 Flag of the United States.svg Chan Kim Flag of Japan.svg Takumi Kanaya
2019 Flag of Japan.svg Shugo Imahira (2) Flag of Thailand.svg Jazz Janewattananond
2018 Flag of Japan.svg Shugo Imahira Flag of Japan.svg Rikuya Hoshino
2017 Flag of Japan.svg Yūsaku Miyazato Flag of the United States.svg Chan Kim
2016 Flag of Japan.svg Yuta Ikeda Flag of South Africa.svg Shaun Norris
2015 Flag of South Korea.svg Kim Kyung-tae Flag of South Korea.svg Song Young-han
2014 Flag of Japan.svg Koumei Oda Flag of South Korea.svg Kim Seung-hyuk
2013 Flag of Japan.svg Hideki Matsuyama Flag of Japan.svg Hideki Matsuyama
2012 Flag of Japan.svg Hiroyuki Fujita (2) Flag of Japan.svg Yoshinori Fujimoto
2011 Flag of South Korea.svg Bae Sang-moon Flag of South Korea.svg Park Jae-bum
2010 Flag of Japan.svg Hiroyuki Fujita Flag of Japan.svg Shunsuke Sonoda
2009 Flag of Japan.svg Ryo Ishikawa Flag of Japan.svg Yuta Ikeda
2008 Flag of Japan.svg Shingo Katayama (4) Flag of Japan.svg Ryo Ishikawa
2007 Flag of Japan.svg Toru Taniguchi (3) Flag of South Korea (1997-2011).svg Lee Seong-ho
2006 Flag of Japan.svg Shingo Katayama (3) Flag of South Korea (1997-2011).svg Lee Dong-hwan
2005 Flag of Japan.svg Shingo Katayama (2) Flag of South Korea (1997-2011).svg Jang Ik-jae
2004 Flag of Japan.svg Toru Taniguchi (2) Flag of Japan.svg Takuya Taniguchi
2003 Flag of Japan.svg Toshimitsu Izawa (2) Flag of Japan.svg Hideto Tanihara
2002 Flag of Japan.svg Toru Taniguchi Flag of Australia (converted).svg Brendan Jones
2001 Flag of Japan.svg Toshimitsu Izawa Flag of Australia (converted).svg Scott Laycock
2000 Flag of Japan.svg Shingo Katayama Flag of the United States.svg Dean Wilson

Career money leaders

The table shows the top ten career money leaders on the Japan Golf Tour through the 2021 season. The figures shown include money won in the four global major championships from 1998 onwards and in the individual World Golf Championships from 1999 to 2009.

PositionPlayerPrize money (¥)
1 Flag of Japan.svg Masashi Ozaki 2,688,836,653
2 Flag of Japan.svg Shingo Katayama 2,252,278,502
3 Flag of Japan.svg Tsuneyuki Nakajima 1,664,953,541
4 Flag of Japan.svg Toru Taniguchi 1,662,207,219
5 Flag of Japan.svg Naomichi Ozaki 1,545,609,713
6 Flag of Japan.svg Hiroyuki Fujita 1,533,257,797
7 Flag of Japan.svg Yuta Ikeda 1,269,641,069
8 Flag of Japan.svg Hideto Tanihara 1,192,142,233
9 Flag of Japan.svg Katsumasa Miyamoto 1,166,981,591
10 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Brendan Jones 1,094,192,410

Japan Golf Tour's website has a full list here.

Records

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Schedules have also included events in China, Indonesia, South Korea, Myanmar, Singapore and Thailand.

References

  1. ↑ "Japan golf touring pros on own". The Honolulu Advertiser. Honolulu, Hawaii. 27 January 1999. p. 27. Retrieved 10 April 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  2. ↑ Zak, Sean (8 December 2016). "Before Hideki Matsuyama, There Was Jumbo Ozaki". Golf Magazine. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
  3. ↑ "年間スポンサーのイーヤマ撤退を正式発表" [Official announcement of the withdrawal of annual sponsor iiyama]. Golf Digest Japan (in Japanese). 11 May 2002. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  4. ↑ "Aoki tipped to play at Pine Valley Beijing Open". china.org.cn. 23 April 2008. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  5. ↑ "Japan Tour expands OneAsia link". The Sporting News. 13 December 2012. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
  6. ↑ Thongsombat, Kittipong (13 December 2012). "Japanese addition for Thai Open". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
  7. ↑ Beall, Joel (5 December 2022). "PGA Tour and DP World Tour announce alliance with Japan Golf Tour". Golf Digest. Retrieved 8 December 2022.
  8. ↑ Yamanishi, Hideki (3 December 2024). "「3位以内は欧州ツアー出場権獲得」じゃないの!? 昨季のMR2位と3位が欧州ツアーに1試合しか出ていない理由とは？" [Isn't it "the top 3 places will qualify for the European Tour"? Why did last season's MR 2nd and 3rd place finishers only play one match on the European Tour?]. egolf.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  9. ↑ "15-year-old boy captures pro tournament in Japan". Toronto Star. 21 May 2007. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
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