The Japan Golf Tour () is a prominent professional golf tour. It was founded in 1973. As of 2006, it offered 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 of the two larger tours. Official events on the Japan Golf Tour count for Official World Golf Ranking points, and success on the tour can also qualify members to play in the majors.
Background 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 Organization (JGTO), which was established in 1999 to separate the tour from the PGA of Japan. The JGTO also organises a developmental tour called the Japan Challenge Tour.
Masashi Ozaki, also known as Jumbo Ozaki, was the dominant player on tour. He led the career wins list with 94, the career money list with over ¥2 billion, and the money list a record twelve times between 1973 and 1998.
Entry to The Open Championship is given to Order of Merit winner and runner-up, Japan Open Golf Championship winner, two players not already exempt from the money list up to the Japan Golf Tour Championship and the top four non-exempt players from the Mizuno Open.
In 2000, the tour signed a title sponsorship agreement with Iiyama, being renamed as the iiyama Tour. The agreement was reported to be worth over three years.
In 2008, the tour ventured outside of Japan for the first time, co-sanctioning the Pine Valley Beijing Open in China, alongside the Asian Tour. In 2013, the tour also co-sanctioned two events at the beginning of the year in Thailand and Indonesia with the OneAsia Tour.
In December 2022, a new agreement involving the JGTO, PGA Tour and European Tour was announced. As part of the deal, from 2023 onwards, the top three on the Japan Golf Tour's season-ending money list earned status to play on the European Tour for the following season.
Money list winners Season Winner Prize money (¥)2025 Kota Kaneko 120,231,0092024 Takumi Kanaya 119,551,2222023 Keita Nakajima 184,986,1792022 Kazuki Higa 181,598,8252020–21 Chan Kim 127,599,8032019 Shugo Imahira (2) 168,049,3122018 Shugo Imahira 139,119,3322017 Yūsaku Miyazato 182,831,9822016 Yuta Ikeda 207,901,5672015 Kim Kyung-tae (2) 165,981,6252014 Koumei Oda 137,318,6932013 Hideki Matsuyama 201,076,7812012 Hiroyuki Fujita 175,159,9722011 Bae Sang-moon 151,078,9582010 Kim Kyung-tae 181,103,7992009 Ryo Ishikawa 183,524,0512008 Shingo Katayama (5) 180,094,8952007 Toru Taniguchi (2) 171,744,4982006 Shingo Katayama (4) 178,402,1902005 Shingo Katayama (3) 134,075,2802004 Shingo Katayama (2) 119,512,3742003 Toshimitsu Izawa (2) 135,454,300 2002 Toru Taniguchi 145,440,3412001 Toshimitsu Izawa 217,934,5832000 Shingo Katayama 177,116,4891999 Naomichi Ozaki (2) 137,641,7961998 Masashi Ozaki (12) 179,627,4001997 Masashi Ozaki (11) 170,847,6331996 Masashi Ozaki (10) 209,646,7461995 Masashi Ozaki (9) 192,319,8001994 Masashi Ozaki (8) 215,468,0001993 Hajime Meshiai 148,718,2001992 Masashi Ozaki (7) 186,816,4661991 Naomichi Ozaki 119,507,9741990 Masashi Ozaki (6) 129,060,5001989 Masashi Ozaki (5) 108,715,7331988 Masashi Ozaki (4) 125,162,5401987 David Ishii 86,554,4211986 Tsuneyuki Nakajima (4) 90,202,0661985 Tsuneyuki Nakajima (3) 101,609,3331984 Shinsaku Maeda 57,040,3571983 Tsuneyuki Nakajima (2) 85,514,1831982 Tsuneyuki Nakajima 68,220,6401981 Isao Aoki (5) 57,262,9411980 Isao Aoki (4) 60,532,6601979 Isao Aoki (3) 45,554,2111978 Isao Aoki (2) 62,987,2001977 Masashi Ozaki (3) 35,932,6081976 Isao Aoki 40,985,8011975 Takashi Murakami 38,705,5511974 Masashi Ozaki (2) 41,846,9081973 Masashi Ozaki 43,814,000
Multiple winners RankPlayerWinsYears won 1 Masashi Ozaki 12 1973, 1974, 1977, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998T2 Isao Aoki 5 1976, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981 Shingo Katayama 2000, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008 4 Tsuneyuki Nakajima 4 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986T5 Shugo Imahira 2 2018, 2019 Toshimitsu Izawa 2001, 2003 Kim Kyung-tae 2010, 2015 Naomichi Ozaki 1991, 1999 Toru Taniguchi 2002, 2007
Awards SeasonMost Valuable PlayerRookie of the Year2025 Kota Kaneko Yuta Sugiura2024 Takumi Kanaya Kensei Hirata2023 Keita Nakajima Keita Nakajima2022 Kazuki Higa Yuto Katsuragawa2020–21 Chan Kim Takumi Kanaya2019 Shugo Imahira (2) Jazz Janewattananond2018 Shugo Imahira Rikuya Hoshino2017 Yūsaku Miyazato Chan Kim2016 Yuta Ikeda Shaun Norris2015 Kim Kyung-tae Song Young-han2014 Koumei Oda Kim Seung-hyuk2013 Hideki Matsuyama Hideki Matsuyama2012 Hiroyuki Fujita (2) Yoshinori Fujimoto2011 Bae Sang-moon Park Jae-bum2010 Hiroyuki Fujita Shunsuke Sonoda2009 Ryo Ishikawa Yuta Ikeda2008 Shingo Katayama (4) Ryo Ishikawa2007 Toru Taniguchi (3) Lee Seong-ho2006 Shingo Katayama (3) Lee Dong-hwan2005 Shingo Katayama (2) Jang Ik-jae2004 Toru Taniguchi (2) Takuya Taniguchi2003 Toshimitsu Izawa (2) Hideto Tanihara2002 Toru Taniguchi Brendan Jones2001 Toshimitsu Izawa Scott Laycock2000 Shingo Katayama Dean Wilson
Career money leaders The table shows the top ten career money leaders on the Japan Golf Tour through the 2021 season. The figures shown include money won in the four global major championships from 1998 onwards and in the individual World Golf Championships from 1999 to 2009.
Position Player Prize money (¥)1 Masashi Ozaki2,688,836,6532 Shingo Katayama 2,252,278,5023 Tsuneyuki Nakajima 1,664,953,5414 Toru Taniguchi 1,662,207,2195 Naomichi Ozaki 1,545,609,7136 Hiroyuki Fujita 1,533,257,7977 Yuta Ikeda 1,269,641,0698 Hideto Tanihara 1,192,142,2339 Katsumasa Miyamoto 1,166,981,59110 Brendan Jones 1,094,192,410
Japan Golf Tour's website has a full list here.
Records Youngest winner: Ryo Ishikawa (amateur) 15 years, 238 days (Munsingwear Open KSB Cup, 2007)
See also Japan Golf Association List of golfers with most Japan Golf Tour wins
Notes
References
External links