Ryuji Imada
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ryuji Imada (今田竜二 born October 19 1976 in Mihara, Hiroshima, Japan) is a U.S. based Japanese professional golfer.
Imada moved from Japan to Tampa, Florida at the age of 14. He had a strong amateur career during which he won several of the top tournaments on the amateur circuit and reached the final of the 1997 U.S. Amateur Public Links. He attended the University of Georgia and turned professional in 1999. From 2000 to 2004 he played on the second tier Nationwide Tour, winning the 2000 Buy.com Virginia Beach Open and the 2004 BMW Charity Pro-Am at The Cliffs. On the Monday following his win at the Virginia Beach Open, Imada fired a back-nine score of 29 in U.S. Open qualifying at Scotch Pines, in Altoona, PA. Imada was the medalist, with a score of 64, and advanced to sectional qualifying. His third place finish on the 2004 money list earned him promotion to the PGA Tour. In his first season at the elite level he had a best placing of fifth and earned enough money to retain his tour card for 2006. In the 2006 U.S. Open, Imada fired closing rounds of 69-71 to finish in a tie for 12th. His 69 in round three was one of only six under par rounds during a brutal weekend at Winged Foot.
