Kenichi Kuboya

Kenichi Kuboya
久保谷健一
Kenichi Kuboya; 久保谷健一
Personal information
Born	11 March 1972 (age 52); Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
Height	1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight	70 kg (154 lb; 11 st 0 lb)
Sporting nationality	Japan
Career
College	Meiji University
Turned professional	1995
Current tour(s)	Japan Golf Tour
Former tour(s)	PGA Tour
Professional wins	7
Highest ranking	73 (22 November 2009)
Number of wins by tour
Japan Golf Tour	7
Asian Tour	1
Best results in major championships;
Masters Tournament	DNP
PGA Championship	DNP
U.S. Open	T68: 2011
The Open Championship	T27: 2009

Kenichi Kuboya (Japanese: 久保谷健一, born 11 March 1972) is a Japanese professional golfer.

Kuboya won four events on the Japan Golf Tour between 1997 and 2002, picking up two wins in each of those seasons.

Both of Kuboya's wins on the Japan Golf Tour in 2002 came in playoffs against seasoned campaigners. He beat Shingo Katayama in extra holes at the Japan PGA Championship and another win against former Open champion Todd Hamilton at the Munsingwear Open KSB Cup. This remains the biggest win of his career.

Kuboya had a brief stint on the PGA Tour where he played a full season in 2003. His best finish of the year was a T13 at the 84 Lumber Classic of Pennsylvania and he was not able to keep his card. He would go back to play on the Japan Golf Tour in 2004, where he currently plays.

Kuboya played in his first major championship in 2002 at The Open Championship, where he made the cut, but did not contend on the weekend. His next major was the 2009 Open Championship at Turnberry in Scotland. He finished his first round birdie, birdie, eagle, birdie to finish in a tie for second. He would finish the tournament tied for 27th.

Kuboya won his fifth Japan Golf Tour title at the 2011 Canon Open, nine years after his last win and subsequently won the 2012 Japan Open and the 2017 Panasonic Open.

Professional wins (7)

Japan Golf Tour wins (7)

Legend
Flagship events (1)
Japan majors (2)
Other Japan Golf Tour (6)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up
1	11 May 1997	Fujisankei Classic	–5 (68-69-73-69=279)	1 stroke	Yoshinori Kaneko, Masashi Ozaki
2	14 Dec 1997	Daikyo Open	–21 (66-64-68-65=263)	1 stroke	Katsunori Kuwabara, Brian Watts
3	19 May 2002	Japan PGA Championship	–9 (74-70-68-67=279)	Playoff	Shingo Katayama
4	26 May 2002	Munsingwear Open KSB Cup	–11 (66-70-68-69=273)	Playoff	Yoshimitsu Fukuzawa, Todd Hamilton
5	9 Oct 2011	Canon Open	–14 (68-67-70-69=274)	5 strokes	Brad Kennedy, Mamo Osanai, Chawalit Plaphol
6	14 Oct 2012	Japan Open Golf Championship	+8 (74-73-75-70=292)	1 stroke	Juvic Pagunsan
7	23 Apr 2017	Panasonic Open Golf Championship¹	–11 (69-71-69-64=273)	Playoff	Katsumasa Miyamoto

¹Co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour

The Japan Open Golf Championship is also a Japan major championship.

Japan Golf Tour playoff record (3–1)

No.	Year	Tournament	Opponent(s)	Result
1	2002	Japan PGA Championship	Shingo Katayama	Won with birdie on second extra hole
2	2002	Munsingwear Open KSB Cup	Yoshimitsu Fukuzawa, Todd Hamilton	Won with birdie on fourth extra hole Fukuzawa eliminated by birdie on second hole
3	2011	Japan Open Golf Championship	Bae Sang-moon	Lost to par on first extra hole
4	2017	Panasonic Open Golf Championship	Katsumasa Miyamoto	Won after concession on first extra hole

Results in major championships

Tournament	2002	2009	2011	2013
Masters Tournament
U.S. Open			T68
The Open Championship	T59	T27		CUT
PGA Championship

Did not play

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

Results in World Golf Championships

Tournament	2002	2012
Match Play
Championship	64
Invitational
Champions		T69

Did not play

"T" = Tied

References

^ "Week 47 2009 Ending 22 Nov 2009" (pdf). OWGR. Retrieved 29 October 2019.

External links

Kenichi Kuboya at the Japan Golf Tour official site
Kenichi Kuboya at the PGA Tour official site
Kenichi Kuboya at the Official World Golf Ranking official site

[w200947-1] "Week 47 2009 Ending 22 Nov 2009" (pdf). OWGR. Retrieved 29 October 2019.

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