Ryuji Imada

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

Imada was born in Mihara, Hiroshima, Japan. He came to the USA 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. [1999 NCAA Mens Golf Team Championship, summary posted at [http://www.georgiadogs.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=46772&SPID=3598&DB_OEM_ID=8800&ATCLID=1210465 "1999 National Championship",] georgiadogs.com, Sep 8, 2007]

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 69-71 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 play-off, and reached the top 50 of the world rankings for the first time. [ [http://www.owgr.com/NEWS/fullstory.sps?iNewsid=5318106&itype=421 Week 20 - Richard Finch Wins the Irish Open and Jumps to World Number 134] ]

Amateur wins

"this list may be incomplete"
*1995 Porter Cup
*1996 Azalea Invitational

Professional wins (3)

PGA Tour wins (1)

*2008 AT&T Classic

Nationwide Tour wins (2)

*2000 BUY.COM Virginia Beach Open
*2004 BMW Charity Pro-Am at The Cliffs

Results in major championships

DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.

References

External links

* [http://www.pgatour.com/players/02/13/50/ Profile on the PGA Tour's official site]
* [http://www.officialworldgolfranking.com/players/bio.sps?ID=6414 Imada's results for the last two years on the Official World Golf Rankings site]