Who's who: Tommy Nakajima

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Who's who: Tommy Nakajima

  • Name:

    Tsuneyuki "Tommy" Nakajima
  • Country:

    Japan
  • Born:

    Oct 20, 1954 in Gunma Prefecture, Japan.
  • Original/Home Club:

  • Occupation:

    Professional golfer
  • Turned Pro:

    1975

Roll of Honour

Japan Amateur champion (1973). Total professional wins (55), including Japan Tour (48) and Japan Snr Tour (5). Japan Tour leading money winner (1982, '83, '85, '86).

Did you know?

After winning the Japan Amateur Championship in 1973, Nakajima went on to become one of the most successful Japanese golfers of all time. With 48 wins, he is the third most prolific winner on the Japan Tour, behind his contemporaries Jumbo Ozaki (94 wins) and Isao Aoki (51 wins).

In 1978, while in contention at the Open Championship at St Andrews, Nakajima putted into the infamous Road Hole bunker at the par-4 17th. He then took four shots to get out of the bunker, which for sometime afterwards became known as the "the Sands of Nakajima."

Top tournaments won by Tommy Nakajima

2006
Japan
275 (-13)
¥30million
Mitsui Sumitomo

Category

Japan

Winner (holder)

Nakajima, Tommy

Score

275 (-13)

Prize money

¥30million

Title sponsor

Mitsui Sumitomo

Played as the Mitsui Sumitomo VISA Taiheiyo Masters (Nov 9-12; Japan Tr event). Second-placed Toru Taniguchi (Jpn) finished 1 shot behind 52-year-old Tsuneyuki "Tommy" Nakajima (Jpn), who recorded the last of his 48 Japan Tour wins. [Gotemba course, Taiheiyo Club, Gotemba, Shizuoka, Jpn].

2002
Japan
272 (-15)
¥30million
Mitsui Sumitomo

Category

Japan

Winner (holder)

Nakajima, Tommy

Score

272 (-15)

Prize money

¥30million

Title sponsor

Mitsui Sumitomo

Played as the Mitsui Sumitomo VISA Taiheiyo Masters (Nov 14-17; Japan Tr event). Second-placed Hidemichi Tanaka (Jpn) finished 1 shot behind 48-year-old Tsuneyuki "Tommy" Nakajima (Jpn). [Gotemba course, Taiheiyo Club, Gotemba, Shizuoka, Jpn].

1994
Japan
Yamanohara GC
279 (-9)
¥18million
x

Category

Japan

Winner (holder)

Nakajima, Tommy

Venue

Yamanohara GC

Score

279 (-9)

Prize money

¥18million

Title sponsor

x

Played as the inaugural Tsuruya Open (April 14-17; Japan Tour event). Tsuneyuki "Tommy" Nakajima (Jpn) beat Tsutomu Higa (Jpn) with a par at the second playoff hole. [Yamanohara course, Yamanohara GC, Hyogo, Jpn; at the time known as Sports Shinko CC].

1994
Japan
Ube 72 CC
268 (-16)
¥14.4million
Pepsi

Category

Japan

Winner (holder)

Nakajima, Tommy

Venue

Ube 72 CC

Score

268 (-16)

Prize money

¥14.4million

Title sponsor

Pepsi

Played as the Pepsi Ube Kosan Open (May 19-22). Second-placed Tsukasa Watanabe (Jpn) finished 3 shots behind Tsuneyuki "Tommy" Nakajima (Jpn), who won this title for the second time in three years. [Ube 72 CC, Ube, Yamaguchi, Japan].

1993
Japan
Tokyo Yomiuri CC
270 (-18)
¥30million
Hitachi

Category

Japan

Winner (holder)

Nakajima, Tommy

Venue

Tokyo Yomiuri CC

Score

270 (-18)

Prize money

¥30million

Title sponsor

Hitachi

Played as the Golf Nippon Series Hitachi Cup (Dec 2-5; Japanese major ch'ship). Second-placed Shigeki Maruyama (Jpn) finished 3 shots behind Tsuneyuki "Tommy" Nakajima (Jpn). [Tokyo Yomiuri CC, Inagi, nr Tokyo, Japan].

1992
Japan
Ube 72 CC
275 (-13)
¥14.4million
Pepsi

Category

Japan

Winner (holder)

Nakajima, Tommy

Venue

Ube 72 CC

Score

275 (-13)

Prize money

¥14.4million

Title sponsor

Pepsi

Played as the Pepsi Ube Kosan Open (May 21-24). Second-placed Hirofumi Miyase (Jpn) finished 5 shots behind Tsuneyuki "Tommy" Nakajima (Jpn). [Ube 72 CC, Ube, Yamaguchi, Japan].

1991
Japan
290 (+2)
¥18million
JGA

Category

Japan

Winner (holder)

Nakajima, Tommy

Score

290 (+2)

Prize money

¥18million

Title sponsor

JGA

Played as the Japan Open (Oct 10-13; Japanese major ch'ship). Tsuneyuki "Tommy" Nakajima (Jpn) beat Noburo Sugai (Jpn) in a playoff, to win the last of his four Japan Open titles. [Shimonoseki GC, Shiminoseki, Yamaguchi, Jpn].

1990
Japan
281 (-7)
¥18million
JGA

Category

Japan

Winner (holder)

Nakajima, Tommy

Venue

Otaru

Score

281 (-7)

Prize money

¥18million

Title sponsor

JGA

Played as the Japan Open (Oct 4-7; Japanese major ch'ship). Second-placed Masashi "Jumbo" Ozaki (Jpn) finished 2 shots behind Tsuneyuki "Tommy" Nakajima (Jpn). [New course, Otaru CC, Otaru, Hokkaido, Jpn].

1986
Awards
Yn90mill
see Score
Japan Tr

Category

Awards

Winner (holder)

Nakajima, Tommy

Venue

Score

Yn90mill

Prize money

see Score

Title sponsor

Japan Tr

Tsuneyuki "Tommy" Nakajima (Jpn) won his fourth (and second straight) Japan Golf Tour Money List, with 1986 season earnings of Yn90,202,066. Masashi "Jumbo" Ozaki (Jpn) was second with Yn80,356,632; Isao Aoki (Jpn) was third with Yn78,341,666. Note: the Japan Tour Money List includes earnings from Japan Tour events and golf's four top majors (Masters, Open, US Open, US PGA).

1986
Japan
Totsuka CC
284 (-4)
¥10million
JGA

Category

Japan

Winner (holder)

Nakajima, Tommy

Venue

Totsuka CC

Score

284 (-4)

Prize money

¥10million

Title sponsor

JGA

Played as the Japan Open (Oct 9-12; Japanese major ch'ship). Second-placed Isao Aoki (Jpn) and Masashi "Jumbo" Ozaki (Jpn) finished 1 shot behind defending champion Tsuneyuki "Tommy" Nakajima (Jpn). [West course, Totsuka CC, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Jpn].

1986
Japan
Tokyo Yomiuri CC
270 (-18)
$35,000
Nissan

Category

Japan

Winner (holder)

Nakajima, Tommy

Venue

Tokyo Yomiuri CC

Score

270 (-18)

Prize money

$35,000

Title sponsor

Nissan

Played as the Nissan Cup World Championship (individual title) (Nov 6-9; best individual score during this event for teams representing the world's four leading men's PGA tours: USA, Britain, Japan, Australasia). Second-placed Bernhard Langer (Ger) finished 2 shots behind Tsuneyuki "Tommy" Nakajima (Jpn). [Tokyo Yomiuri CC, Inagi, Tokyo, Japan].

1985
Awards
Yn101mill
see Score
Japan Tr

Category

Awards

Winner (holder)

Nakajima, Tommy

Venue

Score

Yn101mill

Prize money

see Score

Title sponsor

Japan Tr

Tsuneyuki "Tommy" Nakajima (Jpn) won his third Japan Golf Tour Money List, with 1985 season earnings of Yn101,609,333. Masahiro Kuramoto (Jpn) was second with Yn58,767,582; Tatao "Jet" Ozaki (Jpn) was third with Yn42,782,235. Note: the Japan Tour Money List includes earnings from Japan Tour events and golf's four top majors (Masters, Open, US Open, US PGA).

1985
Awards
70.52
n/a
Japan Tr

Category

Awards

Winner (holder)

Nakajima, Tommy

Venue

Score

70.52

Prize money

n/a

Title sponsor

Japan Tr

Tsuneyuki "Tommy" Nakajima (Jpn) recorded the season's lowest scoring average on the Japan Tour. Masahiro Kuramoto (Jpn) was second with 71.17; Isao Aoki (Jpn) was third with 71.26.

1985
Japan
Higashi Nagoya CC
285 (-3)
¥10million
JGA

Category

Japan

Winner (holder)

Nakajima, Tommy

Venue

Higashi Nagoya CC

Score

285 (-3)

Prize money

¥10million

Title sponsor

JGA

Played as the Japan Open (Oct 10-13; Japanese major ch'ship). Second-placed Hiroshi Makino (Jpn) finished 2 shots behind Tsuneyuki "Tommy" Nakajima (Jpn). [West course, Higashi Nagoya CC, Toyota, Aichi, Jpn].

Category

Japan

Winner (holder)

Nakajima, Tommy

Score

280 (-8)

Prize money

¥14million

Title sponsor

x

Played as the Taiheiyo Masters (Nov 14-17; Japan Tr event). Tsuneyuki "Tommy" Nakajima (Jpn) beat David Graham (Aus) with a birdie at the first playoff hole. [Gotemba course, Taiheiyo Club, Gotemba, Shizuoka, Jpn].

1985
Japan
275 (-13)
¥22million
Dunlop

Category

Japan

Winner (holder)

Nakajima, Tommy

Score

275 (-13)

Prize money

¥22million

Title sponsor

Dunlop

Played as the Dunlop Phoenix Tournament (Nov 21-24; Japan Tr event). Second-placed Seve Ballesteros (Esp) and Chen Tze-chung (Taiw) finished 3 shots behind Tsuneyuki "Tommy" Nakajima (Jpn). [Phoenix CC, Miyazaki, Japan].

1984
Japan
Mios Kikugawa CC
275 (-9)
PGA of Japan

Category

Japan

Winner (holder)

Nakajima, Tommy

Venue

Mios Kikugawa CC

Score

275 (-9)

Prize money

Title sponsor

PGA of Japan

Played as the Japan PGA Championship (Aug 2-5; Japanese major ch'ship). Second-placed Seiichi Kanai (Jpn), Toru Nakamura (Jpn) and Shinsaku Maeda (Jpn) finished shots 2 behind defending champion Tsuneyuki "Tommy" Nakajima (Jpn). [Mios Kikugawa CC, Onuki, Kakegawa, Shizuoka, Jpn].

1983
Japan
Shiun GC
279 (-9)
PGA of Japan

Category

Japan

Winner (holder)

Nakajima, Tommy

Venue

Shiun GC

Score

279 (-9)

Prize money

Title sponsor

PGA of Japan

Played as the Japan PGA Championship (July 28-31; Japanese major ch'ship). Second-placed Isao Aoki (Jpn) and Yutaka Ukawa/Hanekawa (?)(Jpn) finished 2 shots behind Tsuneyuki "Tommy" Nakajima (Jpn). [Shiun GC, Shibata, Niiagata, Jpn].

1983
Awards
Yn101mill
see Score
Japan Tr

Category

Awards

Winner (holder)

Nakajima, Tommy

Venue

Score

Yn101mill

Prize money

see Score

Title sponsor

Japan Tr

Tsuneyuki "Tommy" Nakajima (Jpn) won his second straight Japan Golf Tour Money List, with 1983 season earnings of Yn85,514,183 from Japan Tour events and golf's four top majors (Masters, Open, US Open, US PGA).

1983
Japan
Taiheiyo Club (Rokko)
141 (-3)
¥4.7million
Goldwin

Category

Japan

Winner (holder)

Nakajima, Tommy

Venue

Taiheiyo Club (Rokko)

Score

141 (-3)

Prize money

¥4.7million

Title sponsor

Goldwin

Played as the Goldwin Cup Japan vs USA Match (Nov 10-13; Japan Tr event; individual low score winner). Second-placed Hale Irwin (USA) finished 1 shot behind Tsuneyuki "Tommy" Nakajima (Jpn). [Rokko course, Taiheiyo Club, Miki, Hyogo, Japan].

1982
Japan
Yomiuri CC
283 (−17)
¥5million
x

Category

Japan

Winner (holder)

Nakajima, Tommy

Venue

Yomiuri CC

Score

283 (−17)

Prize money

¥5million

Title sponsor

x

Played as the Golf Nippon Series (Dec 1-5; Japanese major ch'ship and season-ending event). Won by Tsuneyuki "Tommy" Nakajima (Jpn). [Co-hosted by Yomiuri CC, Nishinomiya, Hyogo and Tokyo Yomiuri CC, Inagi, nr Tokyo].

1982
Awards
Yn68mill
see Score
Japan Tr

Category

Awards

Winner (holder)

Nakajima, Tommy

Venue

Score

Yn68mill

Prize money

see Score

Title sponsor

Japan Tr

Tsuneyuki "Tommy" Nakajima (Jpn) won the Japan Golf Tour 1982 Money List, with earnings of Yn68,220,640 from Japan Tour events and golf's four top majors (Masters, Open, US Open, US PGA).

1977
Japan
Nihon Line GC
277 (-11)
PGA of Japan

Category

Japan

Winner (holder)

Nakajima, Tommy

Venue

Nihon Line GC

Score

277 (-11)

Prize money

Title sponsor

PGA of Japan

Played as the Japan PGA Championship (Sept 22-25; Japanese major ch'ship). Second-placed Teruo Sugihara (Jpn) and Yoshitaka Yamamoto (Jpn) finished shots behind 22-year-old Tsuneyuki "Tommy" Nakajima (Jpn), who recorded his first win in a Japanese major championship. [West course, Nihon Line GC, Kani, Gifu, Jpn].

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