Rio Takeda (left) and Takumi Kanaya finished first in the money rankings on the JLPGA Tour and the Japan Golf Tour, respectively, in 2024. (ⒸSANKEI)
Read the full story on SportsLook - [ODDS and EVENS] Golf Success in 2024: Rio Takeda and Takumi Kanaya Made Their Mark
From start to finish, 2024 was a competitive year for Japan's top pro golf circuits, with season winners for the women's JLPGA Tour and the men's Japan Golf Tour capturing their overall titles in different ways.
Rio Takeda ran away with the JLPGA title, winning eight of her 32 tournaments this year. The 21-year-old rising star, who had 23 top-10 finishes, earned ¥265 million JPY ($1.7 million USD) along the way.
On the other hand, Takumi Kanaya claimed the Japan Golf Tour money title on the final day of the season, Sunday, December 1, at the Nippon Series JT Cup at the Tokyo Yomiuri Country Club in Inagi. Kanaya edged Kensei Hirata for the No 1 spot on the earnings list by placing third at 9-under 271, including a final-round 67, in the season-ending tournament.
In 2023, Kanaya finished third in the money rankings (¥141.1 million, or about $940,000), trailing only Taiga Semikawa and Keita Nakajima.
A year later, Kanaya took the money title with two victories ― and 11 top-10 finishes ― in his 19 starts: the Token Homemate Cup (23-under 261) in March and the ACN Championship Golf Tournament (20-under 264) in October. To secure the title, Kanaya had the best scoring average on the Japan Golf Tour, 69.735 strokes per round. No other player averaged under 70. (Shugo Imahira was second at 70.092.)
Kanaya, a seven-time winner on the Japan Golf Tour, pocketed ¥119.5 million (about $800,000) in 2024. Hirata, who triumphed in four tournaments this year, finished second in earnings (¥114.4 million, nearly $760,000).
Takeda Reflects on Her Golf Success in 2024
For the 23-year-old Kumamoto Prefecture native, talent, hard work and consistent play this year blended exceptionally well together. The high note of her year, of course, was the eight tournament victories ― more than twice as many wins as any other player. Akie Iwai and Chisato Iwai (golf-playing twins), Shiho Kuwaki and Haruka Kawasaki tied for second with three wins apiece.
Continue reading the full story on SportsLook.
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Author: Ed Odeven
Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.
