Golf4uAlicante Blog

Is Japanese teen phenomenon Ryo Ishikawa the next Tiger Woods or Ty Tryon? 17 year old Ryo Ishikawa is in the field this month at the Northern Trust Open at Riviera. He’s already been invited to the Masters, and has already won on the Japanese Tour twice. Wherever he goes, the Japanese reporters follow in droves. This year, tournament organisers have issued 400 media credentials, 100 more than last year.

Ishikawa, who last year became the youngest winner of a Japanese men’s tour event, announced Thursday he was turning pro and immediately set high standards for himself.” I want to play with Tiger Woods in the future and win the Masters,” he said at a news conference.

Ishikawa was an amateur in May when he won the Munsingwear Open KSB Cup, making him the youngest winner of a Japanese men’s event. According to the Japan PGA, Ishikawa now is the youngest pro in Japanese golf history.

Since winning the Munsingwear Open, Ishikawa has helped to revitalize the Japan PGA, which has struggled against the recent popularity of the women’s tour and young stars such as Ai Miyazato, Sakura Yokomine and Momoko Ueda.