Takumi

Kanaya

Kanaya is making his 13th career start on the PGA TOUR with one prior top 25, a T7 at this season’s ZOZO in Japan. He’s won three times around the world in 65 events, all three on the Japan Golf Tour, and arrived off a missed cut three weeks ago at the Arnold Palmer Invitational as a non-member, sponsor invite. First-time TOUR member Herbert, who was making his tourney debut, was in control of his own destiny today after opening 2-0-0, but it was the 23-year-old from Japan who led the scheduled match throughout, winning holes 2, 3, 4, 6, 10, 12 and 13, while the Aussie won holes 5 and 9. Kanaya, the lowest-seed in the pod (56th), improves to 2-1-0, and will square off against Group 10 winner and 36-seed Corey Conners on Saturday. In the playoff at the par-4 first, Herbert had the advantage, on-the-green in regulation and 17'6" away for birdie, while Kanaya, after a forced layup (fairway-bunkered off-the-tee), hit his third from 64 yards to 22 inches. Now Herbert for birdie, runs it 2'7" past, whiffs the come-backer for par, and then jab-missed a now-inconsequential bogey putt from 14 inches in frustration and that was that.

The 23-year-old from Japan, a former world No. 1 amateur and winner of the 2020 Mark McCormack Medal, shot 66-71 at Waialae CC and missed the cut for the third time. Last season, Kanaya made one cut in six starts on the PGA Tour. In April, he won the Token Homemate Cup for his third win on the Japan Golf Tour. This fall, he finished T-7 in the Zozo Championship and earned a spot in the following week’s Bermuda Championship thanks to the top 10, although he did not play. In DP World Tour action last season, he went 4-for-6 with his best finish being a T-9 at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic. He played two majors, missing cuts at the PGA Championship and the 149th Open.

The 23-year-old Kanaya, the former world No. 1 amateur and winner of the 2020 Mark McCormack Medal, shared his strategy with media on Tuesday: “This golf course gets a lot of impact from the wind around this area, so I think controlling the ball will be very key to playing well this week.” He also said he’s focused on his ranking status, especially after ending the 2021 calendar year at No. 50 and earning a spot in the 2022 Masters. “I just focus on playing good golf because that will automatically get me into top 50, so one tournament at a time,” said Nakajima, who also knows this year’s Masters is a prime opportunity to earn more starts. “When I was there playing as an amateur, I was simply there for the experience. But this year, playing as a professional, the Masters will be a key event for me to earn the card for PGA Tour or European Tour.” Last season, Nakajima made one cut in six starts on the PGA Tour. In April, he won the Token Homemate Cup for his third win on the Japan Golf Tour. This fall, he finished T-7 in the Zozo Championship in October.

It will mark Kanaya’s second appearance at Augusta National, where he finished T-58 in 2019. He’ll be one of three Asia-Pacific Amateur champions from Japan in the Masters field, joining current champ and world No. 1 amateur Keita Nakajima and defending champion Hideki Matsuyama. The 23-year-old won twice last season on the Japan Golf Tour and finished T-16 or better in 19 of 20 starts with eight top-5s. Most recently, he fired a final-round 66 to finish third at the Golf Nippon Series JT Cup in early December. He led the JGT money list and scoring average (69.73) and ranked second in points, putting average (1.7361) and total driving. Kanaya last played on the PGA Tour in October at the Zozo Championship and finished T-7 following a 66 in the final round. Last season, he played in six events, missing the cut in the 2020 U.S. Open, 2021 PGA Championship and the 2021 Open Championship. He made one cut, finishing T-41 at last year’s Zozo Championship.

The former No. 1-ranked amateur in the world, who was in the field via the Japan Golf Tour OOM, joins Matsuyama as the only two Japanese players to finish in the top 10 this week in Chiba, Japan. This was his 10th career TOUR event, having missed his prior four cuts and six of his last seven, including in his last four majors contested. The MC’s were interrupted five starts ago by a prior-TOUR-best T41 at last year’s ZOZO at Sherwood in his pro debut. For the week, the 23-year-old registered progressively better rounds of 71-70-68-66 and totaled 13 birdies against eight bogeys. Since missing the cut at the 2021 Open and inclusive of this week, he’s now rattled off eight consecutive top-20 finishes worldwide, six of those top 10s, two straight. UPDATE: With the top 10, Kanaya is now in the published field at this coming week’s Butterfield Bermuda Championship.

The 23-year-old brings a lot of pedigree to the table. He spent 55 weeks as No. 1 on the World Amateur Golf Ranking. He’s won three times on the Japan Golf Tour and popped on a few occasions on the European Tour, as well. The next big step will be to prove himself on the PGA TOUR. In nine previous PGA TOUR starts, his best finish is just a T41 (2020-21 ZOZO). He’s missed the cut in seven of those nine starts and that T41 was played in a no-cut event. Kanaya arrives with seven straight top 20s on the Japan Golf Tour and his game is too strong to keep struggling on the big stage. Gamers should consider Kanaya in weekly fantasy formats.

The youngster turned pro this fall but he already has some experience at Waialae Country Club. He pegged it at the 2019 Sony Open and missed the cut with rounds of 71-70 (+1). More recently, he arrives with top 10s in four of his last five worldwide starts. All four of the big finishes came back home on the Japan Golf Tour, including a win at the Dunlop Phoenix. Kanaya currently sits at 118th in the OWGR and will be one to watch closely in 2021 to see if his game translates to the PGA TOUR.

The 22-year-old was the World’s No. 1 amateur before turning pro ahead of last week’s Japan Open. The youngster finished solo 7th in his first event as a pro. It’ll be a big step up in field strength this week but it won’t be his first rodeo on the PGA TOUR. Kanaya missed the cut at the 2019 Sony Open and has also played in three major championships since then. His lone cut made was a T58 at the 2019 Masters. It’s no small feat to reach the top of the WAGR so gamers should give him a long look in all events where he pegs it, including this week at Sherwood Country Club. There is no guarantee that his pedigree will translate to the big stage quickly, or ever, so you are paying for the promise of upside, not reliability.

The 22-year-old recently won the Mark H. McCormack Medal for being the top-ranked amateur in the WAGR. He was the first Asia-born golfer to win the honor. Kanaya may be young but he’s already well-seasoned on the pro ranks, even winning an event on the Japan Golf Tour last year. The youngster has been quiet since the COVID-19 pandemic hit but he did get one prep start in two weeks ago, finishing T5 at the Fujisankei Classic (Japan Golf Tour). Gamers should keep a close eye on Kanaya because he could break out on the big stage at any moment. As for his experience on the PGA TOUR, he missed the cut at the 2019 Sony Open, finished 58th at the 2019 Masters and missed the cut at the 2019 Open Championship.

The 20-year-old, one of six amateurs in the field, is making his second TOUR start after a missed cut by three on 1-over 141 (71-70) at the 2019 Sony on a sponsor exemption. Beginning in 2017, he’s made nine starts on various tours and made five cuts, with all of those resulting in top 25s, including a runner-up at the 2017 Japan Open. Kanaya secured the Masters invite with a two-stroke win at the 2018 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in Singapore, becoming the first player from Japan to win that event since Hideki Matsuyama.