# Takumi Kanaya

Takumi Kanaya (Japanese: 金谷拓実, born 23 May 1998) is a Japanese professional golfer. He had an exceptionally successful amateur career and was world ranked number 1 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking for 55 weeks. He also won a professional event on the 2019 Japan Golf Tour while still an amateur.

## Amateur career

Kanaya had a successful amateur career, winning the 2015 Japan Amateur Championship and the 2018 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship. The latter gave him entry to the Masters and the Open Championship in 2019. He played in a number of representative matches, including the 2018 Eisenhower Trophy where he had the second best individual score. Kanaya won team gold medals at the 2017 Summer Universiade and at the 2018 Asian Games. He was world ranked number 1 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking for 55 weeks, winning the Mark H. McCormack Medal for 2020.
While still an amateur, Kanaya played in a number of professional tournaments. He was the runner-up in the 2017 Japan Open Golf Championship, a stroke behind Yuta Ikeda. He won the 2019 Mitsui Sumitomo Visa Taiheiyo Masters on the Japan Golf Tour and finished tied for 3rd place in the 2019 Emirates Australian Open.

## Professional career

Kanaya turned professional in October 2020 and made his professional debut at the Japan Open Golf Championship, finishing in 7th place.
In November 2020, Kanaya won the Dunlop Phoenix Tournament. This was his second win in a professional tournament but his first since turning pro. The Dunlop Phoenix is regarded as one of the premier tournaments in Japan. The win moved him to 126th in the Official World Golf Ranking.
In 2024, Kanaya won the Token Homemate Cup and the ACN Championship on the Japan Golf Tour, claiming the season-long money list title, as well as being awarded the Most Valuable Player. After the conclusion of the 2024 Japan Golf Tour season, in December, Kanaya finished third at the PGA Tour Qualifying School, earning a PGA Tour card for 2025.

## Amateur wins

* 2015 Japan High School Spring Championship, Japan Amateur Championship
* 2016 JHGA Spring Championship 15 - 17, Chugoku Amateur Championship
* 2018 Chugoku Amateur Championship, Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship
Source:

## Professional wins (8)
### Japan Golf Tour wins (7)

* Legend
* Japan majors (1)
* Other Japan Golf Tour (6)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
| 1 | 17 Nov 2019 | Mitsui Sumitomo Visa Taiheiyo Masters (as an amateur) | −13 (73-66-63-65=267) | 1 stroke | Shaun Norris |
| 2 | 22 Nov 2020 | Dunlop Phoenix Tournament | −13 (68-66-68-69=271) | Playoff | Toshihiro Ishizaka |
| 3 | 18 Apr 2021 | Token Homemate Cup | −11 (67-65-70=202)* | 1 stroke | Keita Nakajima (a) |
| 4 | 4 Jun 2023 | BMW Japan Golf Tour Championship Mori Building Cup | −11 (64-71-67-71=273) | 2 strokes | Yuki Inamori, Hiroshi Iwata |
| 5 | 3 Sep 2023 | Fujisankei Classic | −8 (68-68-69-67=272) | 4 strokes | Naoyuki Kataoka |
| 6 | 31 Mar 2024 | Token Homemate Cup (2) | −23 (67-65-64-65=261) | 2 strokes | Tatsunori Shogenji |
| 7 | 6 Oct 2024 | ACN Championship | −20 (68-68-65-63=264) | Playoff | Ryu Hyun-woo |
*Note: The 2021 Token Homemate Cup was shortened to 54 holes due to a positive COVID-19 test in the field.
Japan Golf Tour playoff record (2–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
| 1 | 2020 | Dunlop Phoenix Tournament | Toshihiro Ishizaka | Won with birdie on fourth extra hole |
| 2 | 2023 | ASO Iizuka Challenged Golf Tournament | Keita Nakajima | Lost to birdie on second extra hole |
| 3 | 2024 | ACN Championship | Ryu Hyun-woo | Won with birdie on first extra hole |

### Asian Tour wins (1)

* Legend
* International Series (1)
* Other Asian Tour (0)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runners-up |
| 1 | 12 Feb 2023 | International Series Oman | −10 (69-71-67-71=278) | 4 strokes | Berry Henson, Sadom Kaewkanjana |

## Results in major championships

Results not in chronological order in 2020.
| Tournament | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
| Masters Tournament | T58 | | | CUT | | |
| PGA Championship | | | CUT | CUT | | CUT |
| U.S. Open | | CUT | | | | CUT |
| The Open Championship | CUT | NT | CUT | CUT | CUT | |
"T" = tied CUT = missed the halfway cut NT = no tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic

## Results in World Golf Championships

| Tournament | 2022 |
| Match Play | R16 |
| Champions | NT$^1$ |
$^1$Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play
NT = No tournament

## Team appearances

Amateur
* Nomura Cup (representing Japan): 2015 (winners), 2017
* Bonallack Trophy (representing Asia/Pacific): 2016, 2018 (winners)
* Eisenhower Trophy (representing Japan): 2016, 2018
* Arnold Palmer Cup (representing International team): 2019 (winners)