Ryuji Imada

Ryuji Imada
今田竜二
Ryuji Imada; 今田竜二
	Imada in 2022
Personal information
Born	19 October 1976 (age 48); Mihara, Japan
Height	5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Weight	150 lb (68 kg; 11 st)
Sporting nationality	Japan
Residence	Tampa, Florida, U.S.
Spouse	Shiori Imada (m. 2019)
Career
College	University of Georgia
Turned professional	1999
Current tour(s)	PGA Tour
Professional wins	3
Highest ranking	49 (18 May 2008)
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour	1
Korn Ferry Tour	2
Best results in major championships;
Masters Tournament	T20: 2009
PGA Championship	CUT: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011
U.S. Open	T12: 2006
The Open Championship	64th: 2009

Ryuji Imada (今田竜二, Imada Ryūji, born 19 October 1976) is a U.S.-based Japanese professional golfer.

Biography

Imada was born in Mihara, Hiroshima. He came to the United States when he was 14 to attend a Tampa golf academy for Asian players. His instructor was (and still is) Richard Abele, who became his legal guardian. Under Abele's teaching, he won several of the top tournaments on the amateur circuit and reached the final of the 1997 U.S. Amateur Public Links. His accomplishments in the American Junior Golf Association led to a scholarship to University of Georgia, where he played for two years and helped the Bulldogs win the 1999 NCAA title.^[2]

Imada turned professional in 1999. From 2000 to 2004 he played on the second tier Nationwide Tour, winning the 2000 Buy.com Virginia Beach Open and the 2004 BMW Charity Pro-Am at The Cliffs. On the Monday following his win, Imada fired a back-nine score of 29 in U.S. Open qualifying at Scotch Valley, in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania. He was the medalist, with a score of 64, and advanced to sectional qualifying. His third-place finish on the 2004 money list earned him promotion to the PGA Tour.

In Imada's first season at the elite level, he had a best placing of fifth and earned enough money to retain his tour card for 2006. In the 2006 U.S. Open, he fired closing rounds of 69 and 71 to finish in a tie for 12th. His 69 in round three was one of only six under par rounds during a brutal weekend at Winged Foot.

In 2007, Imada had his best finish on the PGA Tour, finishing in 2nd place at the AT&T Classic, winning $583,200. In 2008, Imada again finished in 2nd place at the Buick Invitational, moving him into the top 100 of the Official World Golf Rankings. In May 2008 he won his first PGA Tour tournament at the AT&T Classic, beating Kenny Perry in a playoff, and reached the top 50 of the world rankings for the first time.^[3]

Imada was unable to follow up his win and split his time among the PGA Tour, Web.com Tour, and Japan Golf Tour.

Amateur wins

this list may be incomplete

1995 Porter Cup, AJGA Tournament of Champions
1996 Azalea Invitational

Professional wins (3)

PGA Tour wins (1)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	Margin of victory	Runner-up
1	18 May 2008	AT&T Classic	−15 (71-69-66-67=273)	Playoff	Kenny Perry

PGA Tour playoff record (1–1)

No.	Year	Tournament	Opponent	Result
1	2007	AT&T Classic	Zach Johnson	Lost to birdie on first extra hole
2	2008	AT&T Classic	Kenny Perry	Won with par on first extra hole

Nationwide Tour wins (2)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	Margin of victory	Runner-up
1	21 May 2000	Buy.com Virginia Beach Open	−13 (71-68-68-68=275)	5 strokes	Todd Demsey
2	2 May 2004	BMW Charity Pro-Am	−17 (70-66-65-69=270)	Playoff	Paul Gow

Nationwide Tour playoff record (1–0)

No.	Year	Tournament	Opponent	Result
1	2004	BMW Charity Pro-Am	Paul Gow	Won with birdie on fifth extra hole

Results in major championships

Tournament	2000	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2011
Masters Tournament						T20
U.S. Open	CUT	T15	T12	CUT	T18	CUT
The Open Championship					CUT	64
PGA Championship				CUT	CUT	CUT	CUT

Did not play

CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied

Results in The Players Championship

Tournament	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012
The Players Championship	CUT	T68	CUT	T45	T39	CUT	CUT

CUT = missed the halfway cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place

Results in World Golf Championships

Tournament	2008	2009
Match Play
Championship	T34	T40
Invitational
Champions