For Ryo Ishikawa, life appeared somewhat differently over ten years ago than it does now. Every shot he took was videotaped by TV teams, whether he was in America or back home in Japan, and every post-round interview drew a horde of golf reporters. His agent would provide a stool for Ishikawa to sit on during his protracted press conferences so that the latter could respond to all of the questions from the media, which would undoubtedly result in sports headlines back home.
Ishikawa was the darling of Japanese fans and media prior to the rise of Hideki Matsuyama, who is currently an eight-time winner of the PGA TOUR. The country’s golf enthusiasts were eager to embrace a sporting hero who would inspire them.
Ishikawa, who won the Japan Golf Tour in 2007 at the age of 15, created a little piece of golf history. The youngster who became known as the “Bashful Prince” at the age of 20 was already nine times successful, ranked among the top 50 players in the world, and a member of the Presidents Cup International Team in 2009 and 2011.
In an attempt to find more success, Ishikawa moved to the United States and played on the PGA TOUR for five seasons between 2013 and 2017. Before a back injury ended his American dreams, he battled against players like Tiger Woods, Ernie Els, and Vijay Singh, recording two career-best runner-up performances.
Ishikawa appears to have been in the game for a very long time, but in reality, he is only 32 years old, five months older than Matsuyama. Even though Ishikawa’s swing is a little slower these days, he has improved his game over the previous four years and is ready to take one last stroke at trying to establish himself on the PGA TOUR.
More publicity of Ishikawa’s T4 result at the recent ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP than Collin Morikawa’s six-shot victory appeared in certain local newspapers. Ishikawa was the highest finishing local golfer in Japan’s only PGA TOUR event. The performance stoked his competitive spirit.
When asked if he would accept an automatic exemption into the next FedExCup Fall tournament at the World Wide Technology Championship in Mexico this week, he answered emphatically, “yes.”
“I always want to return to the PGA TOUR.” I haven’t been back for maybe five years, but I’ve always been working on myself to get back there. “I truly believe that there’s always time to accomplish that, and I’m putting a lot of effort into it,” he responded to the Japanese media after the Zozo.
I’m pleased with my top-10 finish. Ishikawa, who last finished in the top 10 on the TOUR in the 2016 CIMB Classic in Malaysia, said, “I’m really, really pleased about that.”
With 127 non-member FedExCup points at the moment, the endearing Japanese star essentially needs to place second solo in Mexico in order to move up into the top 125 on the FedExCup Fall points standings. If he managed to accomplish that and remain there until the end of the RSM Classic, which concludes in two weeks, he will receive his TOUR card. He would advance to the upcoming Butterfield Bermuda Championship and improve his chances of returning to the promised land in golf if he finished in the top 10 in Mexico. Ishikawa is anticipated to participate in the December PGA TOUR Q-School at TPC Sawgrass if he is unsuccessful.
Ishikawa is enthusiastic about Japanese golf in general as well as his individual potential. After 21-year-old Ryo Hisatsune and 22-year-old Kensei Hirata finished T6 at the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP, making history by having three Japanese players in the top 10, he spoke proudly. While Hisatsune chose to compete in the Nedbank Golf Challenge, the penultimate event on the DP World Tour in South Africa, Hirata is also present at the World Wide Technology Championship this week. If he finishes the season ranked 10th in the Race to Dubai, he will be eligible for a 2024 PGA TOUR card.
“I believe there is a lot of momentum right now, especially for players in their early 20s, which we didn’t see back in 2019 (the ZOZO’s first year).” “I believe that this is a great opportunity for them during a period of change, and the fact that they are competing in a PGA TOUR event held in Japan only serves to highlight the increased level of competition in the sport since 2019.” The drive is strong.” Ishikawa said.
