Masters extends special invite to Japanese teen
Ryo Ishikawa, a 17-year-old professional golfer from Japan, has received a special invitation to play in the 2009 Masters, Billy Payne, Chairman of the Masters Tournament and Augusta National Golf Club, announced today.
Ishikawa, born September 17, 1991, will become the second youngest competitor ever in the Masters when the first round begins April 9 at 17 years, 6 months and 23 days.
Former PGA Tour standout Tommy Jacobs, who played as an amateur in the 1952 Masters, holds the record at 17 years, 1 month and 21 days.
“At a young age, Mr. Ishikawa has shown the skill and competitiveness to make him a deserving recipient of this invitation,” Payne said at Masters.org. “We see this as an opportunity to expose an emerging talent on a world stage and fulfill our objective to grow the game. I am optimistic that his participation in the Masters will inspire younger players and increase interest in golf in Asia and beyond.”
Ishikawa won the 2007 Munsingwear Open KSB Cup as a 15-year-old amateur, becoming the youngest champion ever on an Official World Golf Ranking-recognized tour.
When he turned professional just over a year ago, Ishikawa listed winning the Masters as one of his goals. Now the 17-year-old Japanese high school student will get his first chance.
"I got the call last night,'' Ishikawa told a news conference Friday. "Of course everything was in English and I couldn't understand it well. But I could understand 'Masters' and 'invitation' and that's when I knew what was happening."
Augusta National awarded Ishikawa the invitation it sets aside for international players.
Ishikawa made history two years ago when he won the Munsingwear Open KSB Cup on the Japan Tour as an amateur at age 15, becoming the youngest player to win on one of the six major tours around the world. He turned pro last year and won the mynavi ABC Championship to go along with six top 10s and a No. 5 raking on Japan's money list. He was part of the Asia team that won this year's Royal Trophy match-play event over Europe.
American golf fans will have several chances to watch Ishikawa prior to The Masters. He already has accepted exemptions to the Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club (Feb. 19-22), and consecutive weeks in Florida for the Transitions Championship at Innisbrook (March 19-22) and the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill (March 26-29.
Currently ranked No. 60 in the world, Ishikawa is still capable of qualifying on his own depending on his results over the next two months. He was the highest-ranked player to receive the foreign invitation since Shingo Katayama was No. 58 in 2005.