Takaaki Kono

Takaaki Kono (4 January 1940 – 22 April 2010) was a Japanese professional golfer.

Takaaki Kono
Personal information
Born(1940-01-04)4 January 1940
Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
Died22 April 2010(2010-04-22) (aged 70)
Height1.60 m (5 ft 3 in)
Weight64 kg (141 lb; 10.1 st)
Nationality Japan
Career
StatusProfessional
Former tour(s)Japan Golf Tour
Asia Golf Circuit
Professional wins11
Number of wins by tour
Japan Golf Tour2
Other9
Best results in major championships
Masters TournamentT12: 1970
PGA ChampionshipDNP
U.S. OpenDNP
The Open ChampionshipDNP

Kono was born in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan in 1940. He started playing golf at the age of 15.[1] Kono had much success on the Japanese and Asian circuits at the beginning of his career, winning several times. One of his top successes was at the 1969 Malaysian Open. Six shots behind at the beginning of the final round, Kono fired a 66 (−6) to capture the title by one shot over New Zealand's John Lister and Australia's David Graham.[2]

This performance helped him earn his first special foreign invitation to the Masters Tournament that April. At Augusta, he shot a thirdround 68 (−4) put him in the top ten and a slight chance for the title.[3] However he stumbled home on the final day and did not seriously contend for the championship, won by George Archer.[4] This would be the beginning of a relatively long relationship with the event, however, as Kono would be invited to play in the tournament several more times. The following year, Kono played just as well, again shooting another 68 (this time in the second round) to place in the top ten once again[5] where he remained after the third round.[6] A final round 74 assured that he did not seriously contend on Sunday but he would pick up his best performance in a major championship. Kono would play in the event several more times in the early 1970s.

Kono continued to have success on the Japanese and Asian circuits, winning multiple events, before joining the Japan Golf Tour during its inaugural season in 1973. Kono won an event during his first season and won his second tour event of his career a decade later at an event in his hometown at the Kanagawa Open. He would not win a professional tournament again.

Professional wins

Japan Golf Tour wins (2)
  • 1973 First Flight
  • 1983 Kanagawa Open

Asia Golf Circuit (3)

Other wins (9)

Results in major championships
Tournament 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973
Masters Tournament T13 T12 CUT T19 T51

CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Note: Kono only played in the Masters Tournament.

Team appearances
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References
  1. "Takaaki Kono – Profile". Japan Golf Tour Organization. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
  2. "Japanese Comes from Behind". Glasgow Herald. Reuters. 17 March 1969.
  3. "Capser Leads in Masters". The Spokesman-Review. 13 April 1969. pp. 1, 3. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
  4. "Takaaki Kono". Golf Major Championships. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
  5. "Golf". Eugene Register-Guard. 11 April 1970. p. 2B. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
  6. "Sports Scoreboard". Eugene Register-Guard. 12 April 1970. p. 6B. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
  7. "Late burst by Graham". The Age. 15 March 1971. p. 23.
  8. "It's Kono's title as Jumbo crashes". The Straits Times. 6 March 1972. p. 31.
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