Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, United States: Japan’s Takumi Kanaya will join fellow former Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC) winner Hideki Matsuyama on the PGA Tour in 2025.
With a gutsy display, Kanaya claimed solo third place at the Final Stage of the PGA Tour Qualifying School presented by Korn Ferry to earn prized PGA Tour playing rights for next year.
The newly crowned Japan Golf Tour number one fired a final round of one-under 69 at TPC Sawgrass Dye’s Valley for a four-day total of five-under 275 as he capped a great season for himself and Japanese golf.
He will become one of five Japanese players to hold a PGA Tour card for next year, joining 10-time PGA Tour winner Matsuyama, Ryo Hisatsune, Kaito Onishi and Rikuya Hoshino.
Like Kanaya, Onishi and Hoshino will be playing their maiden full seasons on the elite circuit after gaining playing rights through the Korn Ferry Tour Top-30 and DP World Tour Top-10 respectively.
“I’m going to call my parents about my finish. I’ve had some tough moments and difficulties but I’ve been able to get through with the support of so many people,” said the seven-time Japan Golf Tour winner Kanaya.
Qualifying School is one of the toughest tests in golf and Kanaya showed courage and resilience to achieve his American dream.
It has been a remarkable journey for the former world amateur number one who won the AAC in Singapore in 2018 and was runner-up in 2019.
Last month, he had thoughts of heading home in the second stage after covering his first seven holes in seven-over. He fought back bravely to finish tied fourth to advance into the Final Stage, and subsequently won the season-ending tournament in Japan and the money list title.
“Winning the money list gave me the confidence and I think if I work hard, I will have more chances to compete,” said Kanaya, who was voted the Japan Tour’s Most Valuable Player.
“I want to prepare well now and do my best in 2025. The second stage was really tough for four days but we took it one step at a time. I think I’ve done well up to now and I’m really happy that it’s paid off like this. It wasn’t a great start but I believed if I concentrated and worked hard, no matter where I was, I would get the results.”
With Matsuyama, who won twice on the PGA Tour in 2024, spearheading the game in his country and inspiring a new generation of players to shoot for the stars, Kanaya believes the strong contingent of players from Japan competing on the PGA Tour next year will be a boon for the game at home.
“Hideki has been so successful in the US for a long time and is already one of the best players in the world. I think many Japanese players will be taking on the challenge in the future and I would like to do my best to be like Hideki,” he said
Compatriot Kensei Hirata finished tied eighth with a closing 64 to agonisingly miss out on the top-five finish and ties finish required for a PGA Tour card but he earned Korn Ferry Tour status for 2025.
SY Noh (67) also finished joint eighth while fellow-Korean Bae Sang-moon, a two-time PGA Tour winner, finished tied 43rd to also secure his Korn Ferry Tour playing rights.
