Don’t forget the name Taiga Semikawa when talking about the next crop of global golf stars.
Not familiar with the name? Well, you should be. This weekend the 21-year-old college student from Japan, won the Japan Open, shooting a third-round 63 en route to a two-stroke victory. Former World No. 1 and Masters champ Adam Scott finished 12 strokes back in a tie for sixth.
It marked Semikawa’s third victory in his last three starts. He ascended to No. 1 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking a week after beating the pros at the Panasonic Open Golf Championship on the JGTO, becoming the fourth Japanese golfer to rise to the No. 1 position in the WAGR, following Hideki Matsuyama, Takumi Kanaya and Keita Nakajima.
But wait, there’s more! With his victory in the Panasonic Open, Semikawa became only the sixth amateur to win on the JGTO, rising to 522nd from 896th in the Official World Golf Ranking.
21 year old Japanese amateur, Taiga Semikawa, has today won the Japan Open, in a field that included Adam Scott, to win his third professional title in a row. Men’s golf in Asia is about to hit a golden period and emulate the women’s game imo. Great to see!
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— Flushing It (@flushingitgolf) October 23, 2022
It’s safe to say that Semikawa is ready for the pro ranks and it won’t be long before he does so. According to the Japan Golf Association, Semikawa is planning to turn pro on November 10 at the Visa Taiheiyo Championship, one of the showpiece events on the JGTO.