Toshimitsu Izawa (, born 2 March 1968) is a Japanese professional golfer. He is sometimes known outside Japan as Toshi Izawa.
Career In 1968, Izawa was born in Kanagawa. He then attended Nihon Taiiku University.
In 1989, Izawa turned professional. Izawa's career on the Japan Golf Tour developed quite slowly. His first win came in 1995, and he did not make the top ten on the money list until 1999, when he was thirty one years old. He went on to top the money list in 2001 and 2003. In the first of those years he set a record of ¥217,934,583 in earnings which survived through the 2004 season, and his dominant form in Japan lifted him into the top twenty in the Official World Golf Ranking.
He has 16 victories on the Japan Golf Tour and is eighth on the career money list (through 2013).
Izawa has only played a limited number of tournaments outside Japan. However, he has had some success in these rare appearances. In early 2001, he finished joint runner-up at the PGA Tour's Nissan Open. Months later, he finished tied fourth at the 2001 Masters Tournament. In 2002, he won the WGC-World Cup for Japan in partnership with Shigeki Maruyama.
Professional wins (19)
Japan Golf Tour wins (16) Legend Flagship events (1) Japan majors (3)Other Japan Golf Tour (12) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner(s)-up11 Oct 1995Japan Open Golf Championship−7 (67-70-70-70=277)1 stroke Kazuhiko Hosokawa211 Oct 1998Tokai Classic−11 (73-66-70-68=277)3 strokes Nobumitsu Yuhara325 Jul 1999Aiful Cup−14 (67-72-68-67=274)1 stroke Toru Taniguchi41 Aug 1999NST Niigata Open Golf Championship−19 (64-67-68-70=269)6 strokes Kazuhiko Hosokawa52 Jul 2000JGTO TPC iiyama Cup−13 (63-70-70=203)3 strokes Kaname Yokoo627 Aug 2000Hisamitsu-KBC Augusta−18 (67-65-71-67=270)4 strokes Shusaku Sugimoto712 Nov 2000Sumitomo Visa Taiheiyo Masters−14 (68-69-66-71=274)1 stroke Keiichiro Fukabori827 May 2001Diamond Cup Tournament−11 (77-68-64-68=277)Playoff Hiroyuki Fujita, Yuji Igarashi923 Sep 2001Mitsui Sumitomo Visa Taiheiyo Masters (2)−18 (66-67-68-69=270)2 strokes Yūsaku Miyazato (a), Shigeru Nonaka107 Oct 2001Georgia Tokai Classic (2)−16 (65-68-70-69=272)2 strokes Tomohiro Kondo, Lin Keng-chi1121 Oct 2001Bridgestone Open−14 (71-67-67-69=274)1 stroke Masashi Ozaki1228 Oct 2001Philip Morris K.K. Championship−16 (67-67-66-72=272)1 stroke Hidemichi Tanaka, Toru Taniguchi136 Jul 2003Japan Golf Tour Championship Shishido Hills Cup (2)−14 (70-63-68-69=270)1 stroke David Smail, Tadahiro Takayama1413 Jul 2003Woodone Open Hiroshima−13 (66-68-69-72=275)Playoff Kiyoshi Murota1528 Aug 2005Under Armour KBC Augusta−20 (67-65-67-65=264)5 strokes Prayad Marksaeng, Ryuichi Oda1613 May 2007Japan PGA Championship−5 (68-70-72-73=283)1 stroke Satoru Hirota
Japan Golf Tour playoff record (2–1) No.YearTournamentOpponent(s)Result11998Casio World Open Brian WattsLost to birdie on second extra hole22001Diamond Cup Tournament Hiroyuki Fujita, Yuji IgarashiWon with par on first extra hole32003Woodone Open Hiroshima Kiyoshi MurotaWon with par on first extra hole
Other wins (1) Legend World Golf Championships (1) Other wins (0) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunners-up115 Dec 2002WGC-World Cup(with Shigeki Maruyama)−36 (64-64-58-66=252)2 strokes − Phil Mickelson and David Toms
Japan PGA Senior Tour wins (2) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner-up127 Oct 2019Fukuoka Senior Open Golf Tournament−8 (67-69=136)1 stroke Yoshinobu Tsukada225 Aug 2024Maruhan Cup Pacific Club Senior−12 (62-68=130)1 stroke Choi Ho-sung
Playoff record PGA Tour playoff record (0–1) No.YearTournamentOpponentsResult12001Nissan Open Robert Allenby, Brandel Chamblee Dennis Paulson, Jeff Sluman, Bob TwayAllenby won with birdie on first extra hole
Results in major championships Tournament199920002001200220032004200520062007Masters TournamentT4CUTCUTCUTU.S. OpenT44WDCUTThe Open ChampionshipT22CUTPGA ChampionshipCUTT39T53T18
CUT = missed the half-way cut WD = withdrew "T" = tied
Results in World Golf Championships Tournament2001200220032004Match PlayR32R32R16R64InvitationalT24T14ChampionshipNT1T25 1Cancelled due to 9/11
QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play "T" = Tied NT = No tournament
Team appearances World Cup (representing Japan): 2001, 2002 (winners)
See also List of golfers with most Japan Golf Tour wins
Notes
References
External links