Tokyo, Japan: The stars of this season’s Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO) have been honoured at an awards ceremony.
Keita Nakajima was crowned the Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the 2023 JGTO season following a series of superb performances that saw him clinch three titles.
In just his second year as a professional, 23-year-old Nakajima lived up to the hype of being the next star in Japanese golf.
A former number one in the World Amateur Golf Ranking and winner of the 2021 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, Nakajima was a model of consistency throughout the season.
His triumphs were attained at the ASO Iizuka Challenge Golf Tournament, Yokohama Minato Championship Fujiki Centennial, and Mynavi ABC Championship.
The ASO Iizuka win was his second on the JGTO but the first as a professional. He claimed his maiden victory when he was still an amateur, winning the 2021 Panasonic Open.
Nakajima completed his impressive 2023 record with 10 other top-five finishes, five of which were runner-ups. In total, he missed only one cut in 23 starts.
At the awards ceremony at Tokyo’s ANA InterContinental Hotel, Nakajima collected five other awards – the Prize Money King (184,986,179 yen), Scoring Average (69.341), Birdie or Better (4.789), Rookie of the Year Shimada Trophy, and Golf Writers’ Prize.
He said: “I’m so happy to be able to win three times since my first professional victory. The fact that I have a formidable rival (in Takumi Kanaya) and engaged in a year-long battle for the prize money crown made it even more memorable.
“It has been an exceptionally rewarding and enjoyable year and all of this would not have been possible without the support of my entire team, including my family.”
In other awards, Kanaya topped the Par or Better category for the second time, averaging 90.863, adding to his previous success in 2021.
The other notable second-time winners of their respective categories were long-hitting Riki Kawamoto for Driving Distance, averaging 322.58 yards (2022, 2023), and veteran Shingo Katayama for Sand Saves. Yuki Inamori won the Driving Accuracy Percentage for the eighth consecutive season (2016 to 2023).
Korean Song Young-han and Australian Anthony Quayle were the two international recipients, dominating the Greens in Regulation and Putting Average charts.
Special mention was also given to Ryo Hisatsune who became the first Japanese player to clinch the DP World Tour Rookie of the Year award.
2023 JGTO Roll of Honour
MVP: Keita Nakajima
Money Rankings: Keita Nakajima
Mercedes-Benz Total Point Rankings: Taiga Semikawa
Rookie of the Year Shimada Trophy: Keita Nakajima
ABEMA Tour Money Rankings: Tatsunori Shogenji
Scoring Average: Keita Nakajima
Putting Average: Anthony Quayle
Par or Better: Takumi Kanaya
Greens in Regulation: Song Young-han
Birdie or Better: Keita Nakajima
Eagles per Round: Taiga Semikawa
Driving Distance: Riki Kawamoto
Driving Accuracy Percentage: Yuki Inamori
Sand Saves: Shingo Katayama
Total Driving: Takumi Kanaya
Special Prize: Yuta Sugihara
Golf Media Award: Keita Nakajima
