Who's who: Chako Higuchi

  • Torrey Pines - South course, host of the Farmers Insurance Open
  • Prince's GC, England
  • Torrey Pines - South course, host of the Farmers Insurance Open
  • Terras da Comporta, Dunas
  • Monte Rei G&CC
  • Marco Simone GC (Italy); host of the Ryder Cup 2023
  • Pebble Beach host of the US Open; US Women's Open; Pebble Beach Pro-Am
  • Marco Simone GC

Who's who: Chako Higuchi

  • Name:

    Hisako "Chako" Higuchi
  • Country:

    Japan
  • Born:

    Oct 13, 1945 in Kawagoe, Saitama, Japan.
  • Original/Home Club:

  • Occupation:

    Professional golfer; President of LPGA of Japan.
  • Turned Pro:

    1967

Roll of Honour

MAJORS (1): US LPGA Championship (1977). Total professional wins (73), including LPGA of Japan (69), LPGA Tour (2) and ALPG Tour (1). World Golf Hall of Fame (inducted in 2003).

Did you know?

Higuchi, together with fellow World Golf Hall of Famer Ayako Okamoto, dominated Japanese women's golf in the 1970s and 1980s. She also had success on the LPGA Tour, including a major championship win in the LPGA Championship in 1977.

Top tournaments won by Chako Higuchi

1983
Asia
Edosaki CC
142
$20,000
Sports Nippon

Category

Asia

Winner (holder)

Higuchi, Chako

Venue

Edosaki CC

Score

142

Prize money

$20,000

Title sponsor

Sports Nippon

Played as the Sports Nippon Team Match (Nov 4-6; individual low score prize within the US-Japan team match). Sandra Haynie (USA) and Pat Bradley (USA) finished in second place behind Higuchi (Jpn). [Edosaki CC, Inashiki, Ibaraki, Japan].

1981
Asia
Genjiyama GC
180
Pioneer

Category

Asia

Winner (holder)

Higuchi, Chako

Venue

Genjiyama GC

Score

180

Prize money

Title sponsor

Pioneer

Played as the Pioneer Cup (Oct 30-Nov 1; individual low score prize within the US-Japan team match). Higuchi (Jpn) beat Michiko Okata (Jpn) in a playoff for the low score prize. [Genjiyama GC, Ichihara, Chiba, Japan].

1981
America
180
$15,000
x

Category

America

Winner (holder)

Higuchi, Chako

Venue

Score

180

Prize money

$15,000

Title sponsor

x

Played as the Pioneer Cup. Michiko Okada finished in second place behind Higuchi.

1977
Majors
Bay Tree Plantation
279 (-9)
$22,500
LPGA

Category

Majors

Winner (holder)

Higuchi, Chako

Venue

Bay Tree Plantation

Score

279 (-9)

Prize money

$22,500

Title sponsor

LPGA

The LPGA Championship (23rd) (June 9-12). Second-placed Pat Bradley (USA), Sandra Post (Can) and Judy Rankin (USA) finished 3 shots behind Higuchi (Jpn), who recorded her first and only major championship win. [Bay Tree Plantation, Little River, SC. All three courses here closed in 2006].

1976
Europe
284 (-12)
US$15,000
Colgate

Category

Europe

Winner (holder)

Higuchi, Chako

Score

284 (-12)

Prize money

US$15,000

Title sponsor

Colgate

Played as the Colgate European Women's Open (Aug 4-7; LPGA Tr event). Second-placed Kathy Whitworth (USA) and Sandra Palmer (USA) finished 6 shots behind Hisako "Chako" Higuchi (Jpn). [Old course, Sunningdale GC, Sunningdale, Berks].

1974
Asia
Horyuji CC
218 (-4)
US$15,000
x

Category

Asia

Winner (holder)

Higuchi, Chako

Venue

Horyuji CC

Score

218 (-4)

Prize money

US$15,000

Title sponsor

x

Played as the LPGA Japan Classic (LPGA Tr unofficial money event). Sayoko Matsui (Jpn) finished in second place behind Hisako "Chako" Higuchi (Jpn), who was runner-up the previous year. [Horyuji CC, Ikoma, Nara, Japan].

Category

Aus/NZ

Winner (holder)

Higuchi, Chako

Score

219

Prize money

A$2,000

Title sponsor

Wills

Played as the inaugural Wills Australian Ladies Open. Second-placed Penny Pulz (Aus) finished 3 shots behind Higuchi (Jpn). [Victoria GC, Melbourne, Aus].

Find a course

Or

Tournaments

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). 

Who's Who

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

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.

Prince's Golf Club, Kent (UK)

Here at Prince’s Golf Club you'll find 27 excellent holes of links golf. Just over the fence and sharing similar terrain is Royal St George’s; but Prince’s is far from overshadowed by its venerable neighbour. The three nine-hole loops at Prince's, laid out over gently undulating terrain, are sure to bring a smile of satisfaction to all lovers of links golf.

Stay&Play at Prince's: excellent onsite Lodge accommodation available

Popular videos

You can subscribe to the Where2Golf channel on YT if you like to see more video content. You'll find a "Subscribe" button on any of our YouTube videos. Or if you want a quick and direct access subscribe here. Once done, any new published videos will show up in your Subscriptions feed.

Hamburger GC - Falkenstein, Germany

WINSTONgolf - Links course

Littlestone Golf Club (Kent, UK)