For the second consecutive year, the top honor in amateur golf goes to Japan. Keita Nakajima, the 21-year-old winner of this summer’s Japan Amateur, has been awarded the Mark H. McCormack Medal as the top-ranked player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.
Nakajima has spent the past 17 weeks (and 30 total weeks since November 2020) atop the ranking. A year ago, compatriot Takumi Kanaya, who has since turned professional, earned the honor.
Nakajima has made a series of appearances in Japan Golf Tour Professional events over the past year in addition to top-20 finishes in the Asia-Pacific Diamond Cup and Japan Open Championship. He was runner-up at the 2018 Asia-Pacific Amateur.
“I am so excited and happy to have won the 2021 Mark H McCormack Medal,” said Nakajima. “Heading into university, my goal was to be the number one player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. I want to give many thanks for the support of my family, university, national team coaches and teammates. Without them, I could not have achieved this. I am also very proud and honoured to be awarded the medal following Takumi Kanaya.
“My next goal is to demonstrate my abilities on the world stage with confidence and hopefully follow in the footsteps of my fellow Japanese players including Hideki Matsuyama, Nasa Hataoka, Takumi Kanaya, and Yuka Saso.
“Thank you again to everyone who has supported me and to The R&A and USGA for their work in promoting amateur golf around the world. Arigato!”
Nakajima teed it up at the U.S. Amateur at Oakmont (Pennsylvania) Country Club last week but missed the cut to math play.