Ayako Okamoto
Name:
Ayako OkamotoCountry:
JapanBorn:
April 2, 1951 in Akitsu, Hiroshima, Japan.Original/Home Club:
Occupation:
Professional golferTurned Pro:
1975Total professional wins (62), including LPGA of Japan Tour (44), LPGA Tour (17) and Ladies European Tour (2).
Okamoto, together with fellow World Golf Hall of Famer "Chako" Higuchi, dominated Japanese women's golf in the 1970s, 80s and 90s. In addition to her "superstar" status in Japan, she also enjoyed considerable success on the LPGA Tour with 17 wins, but no majors amongst them. Okamoto won the Women's British Open in 1984, before it was recognised as a major championship.
America
McDonald's
Played as the McDonald's Championship. Second-placed Pat Bradley (USA), Brandie Burton (USA) and Deb Richard (USA) finished 3 shots behind Okamoto (Jpn), who recorded the last of her 17 LPGA Tour victories in this 54-hole rain-shortened event. [DuPont CC, Wilmington, Delaware].
Europe
Lufthansa
Played as the Lufthansa Ladies German Open (Aug 9-12). Okamoto (Jpn) beat Laurette Maritz (RSA) and Cindy Rarick (USA) in a playoff. [GC Wörthsee, nr Munich, Germany].
America
Sara Lee
Played as the Sara Lee Classic. Second-placed Betsy King (USA), JoAnne Carner (USA), Dawn Coe (Can), Pat Bradley (USA) and Colleen Walker (USA) finished 1 shot behind Okamoto (Jpn). [General's Retreat course, Hermitage GC, Old Hickory, Nashville, TN].
America
Corning
Played as the LPGA Corning Classic. Second-placed Beth Daniel (USA) finished 6 shots behind Okamoto (Jpn), who recorded her 15th LPGA Tour win. [Corning CC, Corning, nr Elmira, New York].
America
Orient Leasing
Played as the Orient Leasing Hawaiian Ladies Open. Second-placed Deb Richard (USA) and JoAnne Carner (USA) finished 1 shot behind Okamoto (Jpn). [Fazio course, Turtle Bay Resort, Kahuku, Oahu, Hawaii].
America
x
Played as the Greater Washington Open. Second-placed Beth Daniel (USA) and Connie Chillemi (USA) finished 1 shot behind Okamoto (Jpn). [Bethesda CC, Bethesda, Maryland].
America
Inamori
Played as the San Diego Inamori Golf Classic. Second-placed Colleen Walker (USA) finished 1 shot behind defending champion Okamoto (Jpn). [StoneRidge CC, Poway, nr San Diego, CA].
Awards
LPGA Tr
Okamoto (Jpn) won the LPGA Tour Player of the Year Award, based on a points system for top 10 finishes and performance in Majors.
America
Kyocera
Played as the Kyocera Inamori Golf Classic. Second-placed Betsy King (USA) finished 1 shot behind Okamoto (Jpn). [StoneRidge CC, Poway, nr San Diego, CA].
America
x
Played as the Lady Keystone Open. Second-placed Laurie Rinker (USA) finished 1 shot behind Okamoto (Jpn). [West course, Hershey CC, Hershey, PA].
America
Nestle
Played as the Nestle World Championship. Second-placed Betsy King (USA) finished in second place behind Okamoto (Jpn). [PineIsle Resort, Lake Lanier, Georgia; now called Legacy Course on Lake Lanier].
Awards
LPGA Tr
Okamoto (Jpn) won the LPGA Tour 1987 Money List, with earnings of $466,034 on the Tour. Betsy King (USA) was second with $460,385; Jane Geddes (USA) was third with $396,818.
America
Chrysler
Played as the Chrysler-Plymouth Classic. Second-placed Jane Geddes (USA) and Colleen Walker (USA) finished 2 shots behind Okamoto (Jpn). [Navesink CC, Middletown, New Jersey].
Asia
Nichirei Foods
Played as the Nichirei Ladies Cup (Oct 31-Nov 2; individual low score prize within the US-Japan team match). Sandra Palmer (USA) and Juli Inkster (USA) finished in second place behind Okamoto (Jpn). [Tsukuba CC, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan].
America
Elizabeth Arden
Played as the Elizabeth Arden Classic. Second-placed Muffin Spencer-Devlin (USA) finished 1 shot behind Okamoto (Jpn). [Soffer course, Turberry Isle Resort, Aventura, FL; at the time called the South course].
America
Cellular One-PING
Played as the Cellular One-Ping LPGA Golf Championship (Sept 5-7). Second-placed Colleen Walker (USA) and defending champion Nancy Lopez (USA) finished 6 shots behind Ayako Okamoto (Jpn). [Columbia Edgewater CC, Portland, Oregon].
Europe
Hitachi
Played as the Hitachi British Women's Open (Oct 3-6; a GB&I WPGA/LPGA Trs event). Second-placed Betsy King (USA) and Dale Reid (Scot) finished 11 shots behind Okamoto (Jpn). [Duke's course, Woburn GC, nr Milton Keynes, Bucks].
America
J&B Whisky
Played as the J&B Scotch Pro-Am. Second-placed Donna White (USA) finished 5 shots behind Okamoto (Jpn). [Wynn Las Vegas, Nevada; at the time known as Desert Inn CC. Earlier rounds also at Las Vegas CC].
America
Mayflower
Played as the Mayflower Classic. Second-placed Judy Clark (USA; Judy Dickinson from late-1985) and Donna White (USA) finished 2 shots behind Okamoto (Jpn). [CC of Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana].
America
x
Played as the Rochester International. Okamoto (Jpn) beat Kathy Whitworth (USA) and Donna White (USA) with a birdie at the third playoff hole. [Locust Hill CC, Pittsford, Rochester, NY].
America
x
Played as the Arizona Copper Classic. First-time LPGA Tour winner Okamoto (Jpn) beat Sally Little (RSA/USA) with a birdie at the second playoff hole. [North course, Randolph GC, Tucson, AZ].
Ryder Cup: Rome plays host to the first ever Ryder Cup to be staged in Italy, with the USA defending golf’s greatest team trophy at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club (Sept 29-Oct 1).
Solheim Cup: also in September, also in southern Europe, the 18th Solheim Cup will be contested at Finca Cortesin on the Costa del Sol, with Europe defending after their surprise win in Toledo, Inverness Club (Ohio) in 2021 (Sept 22-24).
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Céline Boutier: with many successes as both an amateur and professional golfer, Boutier added a major championship title to her impressive résumé at this year’s Evian Championship.
Alex Cejka: buffeted by rain and high winds, especially on the high-scoring final day, Čejka prevailed over Pádraig Harrington in a playoff at Royal Porthcawl, to scoop the Senior Open Championship title.
Marco Simone Golf & Country Club: With a clubhouse that might befit a Roman Emperor, and a golf course to match, you can be sure of a memorable outing at Rome's most talked about golf facility.
Jim Fazio's original layout was much changed to create a modern Ryder Cup course ... now one of the Eternal City's (and Italy's) most revered.
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