Japan Golf Tour

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

1 Leading money winners by year
2 Leading career money winners
3 See also
4 External link

The Japan Golf Tour is a prominent golf tour. It was founded in 1973 and as of 2006 it offers the third highest annual prize fund out of the regular (that is not for seniors) men's professional tours after the PGA TOUR and the European Tour. However since the early 1990s, the growth in prize money has not kept pace with that on the two larger tours. Official events on the Japan Golf Tour count for World Golf Ranking points, and success on the tour can also qualify members to play in the majors.

Most of the leading players on the tour are Japanese, but players from many other countries also participate. The tour is currently run by the Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO), which was established in 1999. The JGTO also organises a developmental tour called the Japan Challenge Tour.

[edit] Leading money winners by year

The official prize money list on the Japan Golf Tour includes money won by members in the majors and the World Golf Championships events. All of the players who have topped the money list are Japanese.

2006 Shingo Katayama - 178,402,190 Yen
2005 Shingo Katayama - 134,075,280 Yen
2004 Shingo Katayama - 119,512,374 Yen
2003 Toshimitsu Izawa - 135,454,300 Yen
2002 Toru Taniguchi - 145,440,341 Yen
2001 Toshimitsu Izawa - 217,934,583 Yen
2000 Shingo Katayama - 177,116,489 Yen
1999 Naomichi "Joe" Ozaki - 137,641,796 Yen
1998 Masashi "Jumbo" Ozaki - 179,627,400 Yen
1997 Masashi "Jumbo" Ozaki - 170,847,633 Yen
1996 Masashi "Jumbo" Ozaki - 209,646,746 Yen
1995 Masashi "Jumbo" Ozaki - 192,319,800 Yen
1994 Masashi "Jumbo" Ozaki - 215,468,000 Yen
1993 Hajime Meshiai - 148,718,200 Yen
1992 Masashi "Jumbo" Ozaki - 186,816,466 Yen
1991 Naomichi "Joe" Ozaki - 119,507,974 Yen
1990 Masashi "Jumbo" Ozaki - 129,060,500 Yen
1989 Masashi "Jumbo" Ozaki - 108,715,733 Yen
1988 Masashi "Jumbo" Ozaki - 125,162,540 Yen
1987 David Ishii - 86,554,421 Yen
1986 Tsuneyuki "Tommy" Nakajima - 90,202,066 Yen
1985 Tsuneyuki "Tommy" Nakajima - 101,609,333 Yen
1984 Shinsaku Maeda - 57,040,357 Yen
1983 Tsuneyuki "Tommy" Nakajima - 85,514,183 Yen
1982 Tsuneyuki "Tommy" Nakajima - 68,220,640 Yen
1981 Isao Aoki - 57,262,941 Yen
1980 Isao Aoki - 60,532,660 Yen
1979 Isao Aoki - 45,554,211 Yen
1978 Isao Aoki - 62,987,200 Yen
1977 Masashi "Jumbo" Ozaki - 35,932,608 Yen
1976 Isao Aoki - 40,985,801 Yen
1975 Takashi Murakami - 38,705,551 Yen
1974 Masashi "Jumbo" Ozaki - 41,846,908 Yen
1973 Masashi "Jumbo" Ozaki - 43,814,000 Yen

[edit] Leading career money winners

The table shows the top ten career money leaders on the Japan Golf Tour at 14 January 2006. The figures shown include money won in the four global major championships from 1998 onwards and in the three individual World Golf Championships events from their introduction in 1999. The leading non-Japanese money winner on the tour is Todd Hamilton with earnings of over 630 million Yen.

Position	Player	Country	Prize Money (Yen)
1.	Masashi "Jumbo" Ozaki	Japan	2,672,941,259
2.	Tsuneyuki "Tommy" Nakajima	Japan	1,560,835,036
3.	Naomichi "Joe" Ozaki	Japan	1,517,315,806
4.	Masahiro Kuramoto	Japan	989,818,584
5.	Isao Aoki	Japan	980,652,048
6.	Shingo Katayama	Japan	953,421,405
7.	Toshimitsu Izawa	Japan	929,793,435
8.	David Ishii	Japan	814,695,905
9.	Hajime Meshiai	Japan	806,189,257
10.	Toru Taniguchi	Japan	802,059,931