Kazuki Higa
{{short description|Japanese professional golfer}}
{{use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Infobox golfer
|name = Kazuki Higa
|image =
|image_size =
|caption =
|fullname =
|nickname =
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1995|4|23|df=y}}
|birth_place = Okinawa, Japan
|death_date =
|death_place =
|height = 158 cm
|weight = 70 kg
|nationality = {{JPN}}
|residence =
|spouse =
|partner =
|children =
|college = Tohoku Fukushi University
|yearpro = 2017
|tour = Japan Golf Tour
|extour = European Tour
Japan Challenge Tour
Asian Development Tour
|prowins = 10
|pgawins =
|eurowins =
|japwins = 6
|asiawins = 1
|sunwins =
|auswins =
|nwidewins =
|chalwins =
|champwins =
|seneurowins =
|otherwins = 4
|majorwins =
|masters = CUT: 2023
|usopen = DNP
|open = CUT: 2022, 2023
|pga = 76th: 2023
|wghofid =
|wghofyear =
| award1 = Japan Golf Tour
money list winner
| year1 = 2022
| award2 = Japan Golf Tour
Most Valuable Player
| year2 = 2022
|awardssection =
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalCompetition|Summer Universiade}}
{{MedalGold|2015 Gwangju|Men's individual}}
{{MedalGold|2015 Gwangju|Men's team}}
{{MedalSilver|2017 Taipei|Men's individual}}
{{MedalGold|2017 Taipei|Men's team}}
}}
Kazuki Higa ({{langx|ja|比嘉一貴}}, born 23 April 1995) is a Japanese professional golfer. He has won six times on the Japan Golf Tour, as well as topping the money list in 2022.
Professional career
Higa attended Tohoku Fukushi University and turned professional in late 2017.{{cite web |url=https://www.jgto.org/en/player/16649/profile |title=Kazuki Higa – Profile |publisher=Japan Golf Tour Organization |access-date=27 June 2022}} Since turning professional, he has played primarily on the Japan Golf Tour. His first win was at the 2019 RIZAP KBC Augusta. He won again in 2021 at the Shigeo Nagashima Invitational Sega Sammy Cup.{{cite web |url=https://www.jgto.org/en/player/16649/tour |title=Kazuki Higa – Tour Career Record |publisher=Japan Golf Tour Organization |access-date=27 June 2022}}
=2022: Four wins and money list title=
Higa started off the season by winning the Kansai Open Golf Championship in April. He also won the BMW Japan Golf Tour Championship Mori Building Cup in June. In September, Higa won the Shinhan Donghae Open, an event also sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the Korean Tour. He shot a final-round 65 to win by two shots.{{cite web |url=https://pargolf.my/japans-kazuki-higa-triumphs-at-shinhan-donghae-open/ |title=Japan’s Kazuki Higa triumphs at Shinhan Donghae Open |website=Par Golf |first=Malkeet |last=Kaur |date=12 September 2022 |access-date=1 January 2023}} He claimed his fourth victory of the season at the Dunlop Phoenix Tournament in November. He shot a final round 64 to win by three shots ahead of Mito Pereira.{{cite tweet |author=Nosferatu |user=VC606 |number=1594216175105298432 |title=Big congrats to the not so big Kazuki Higa |date=20 November 2022 |access-date=1 January 2023}} Higa ended the 2022 season as the Japan Golf Tour money list winner and earned status to play on the 2023 European Tour.{{cite news |url=https://www.news9live.com/sports/golf/top-3-japan-tour-order-of-merit-finishers-to-receive-dp-world-tour-membership-211994 |title=Top-3 Japan Tour Order of Merit finishers to receive DP World Tour membership |website=News Nine |date=5 December 2022 |access-date=1 January 2023}}
Amateur wins
- 2017 Neighbors Trophy Team Championship (individual winner), Tohoku Amateur Championship, Kanto Collegiate Championship
Professional wins (10)
=Japan Golf Tour wins (6)=
class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"
! Legend |
style="background:#D6E8FF;"
| Japan majors (1) |
Other Japan Golf Tour (5) |
class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"
!No.!!Date!!Tournament!!Winning score!!Margin of |
align=center|1
|align=right|1 Sep 2019 |−26 (66-63-67-66=262) |5 strokes |{{flagicon|JPN}} Rikuya Hoshino |
align=center|2
|align=right|22 Aug 2021 |Shigeo Nagashima Invitational Sega Sammy Cup |−20 (68-65-67-68=268) |2 strokes |{{flagicon|JPN}} Kunihiro Kamii |
align=center|3
|align=right|17 Apr 2022 |Kansai Open Golf Championship |−14 (65-67-68-70=270) |1 stroke |{{flagicon|JPN}} Rikuya Hoshino |
style="background:#D6E8FF;"
|align=center|4 |align=right|5 Jun 2022 |BMW Japan Golf Tour Championship Mori Building Cup |−12 (69-71-65-67=272) |1 stroke |{{flagicon|JPN}} Tomoharu Otsuki |
align=center|5
|align=right|11 Sep 2022 |−20 (66-63-70-65=264) |2 strokes |{{flagicon|KOR}} Cho Min-gyu, {{flagicon|THA}} Tirawat Kaewsiribandit, |
align=center|6
|align=right|20 Nov 2022 |−21 (69-65-65-64=263) |3 strokes |{{flagicon|CHL}} Mito Pereira |
1Co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the Korean Tour
=Japan Challenge Tour wins (1)=
class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"
!No.!!Date!!Tournament!!Winning score!!Margin of |
align=center|1
|align=right|29 Jun 2018 |Minami Akita CC Michinoku Challenge |−12 (66-64=130)* |2 strokes |{{flagicon|JPN}} Yoshikazu Haku, {{flagicon|JPN}} Takahiro Hataji, |
=Asian Development Tour wins (2)=
class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"
!No.!!Date!!Tournament!!Winning score!!Margin of |
align=center|1
|align=right|27 Apr 2018 |BTI Open1 |−17 (62-70-69-70=271) |3 strokes |{{flagicon|BGD}} Zamal Hossain |
align=center|2
|align=right|16 Mar 2019 |UMW Championship2 |−22 (68-65-68-65=266) |6 strokes |{{flagicon|JPN}} Shintaro Kobayashi, {{flagicon|JPN}} Naoki Sekito |
1Co-sanctioned by the Professional Golf Tour of India
2Co-sanctioned by the Professional Golf of Malaysia Tour
=Other wins (1)=
- 2018 Kyusyu Open
Results in major championships
class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;text-align:center;"
!Tournament !2022!!2023 |
align=left|Masters Tournament
|style="background:#eeeeee;"| |CUT |
align=left|PGA Championship
|style="background:#eeeeee;"| |76 |
align=left|U.S. Open
|style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |
align=left|The Open Championship
|CUT |CUT |
{{legend|#eeeeee|Did not play}}
CUT = missed the half-way cut
Team appearances
Amateur
- Eisenhower Trophy (representing Japan): 2016
- Neighbors Trophy Team Championship (representing Japan): 2013, 2015, 2017 (winners)
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{JapanTour player|16649}}
- {{PGATour player|35778}}
- {{EuroTour player|100897}}
- {{OWGR|15756}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Higa, Kazuki}}
Category:Japanese male golfers
Category:Japan Golf Tour golfers
Category:Summer World University Games medalists in golf
Category:Medalists at the 2015 Summer Universiade
Category:Medalists at the 2017 Summer Universiade
Category:Golfers from Okinawa Prefecture
Category:FISU World University Games gold medalists for Japan
Category:FISU World University Games silver medalists for Japan