Kenichi Kuboya


Kenichi Kuboya is a Japanese professional golfer.
Kuboya won four events on the Japan Golf Tour between 1997 and 2002, picking up two wins in each of those seasons.
Both of Kuboya's wins on the Japan Golf Tour in 2002 came in playoffs against seasoned campaigners. He beat Shingo Katayama in extra holes at the Japan PGA Championship and another win against former Open champion Todd Hamilton at the Munsingwear Open KSB Cup. This remains the biggest win of his career.
Kuboya had a brief stint on the PGA Tour where he played a full season in 2003. His best finish of the year was a T13 at the 84 Lumber Classic of Pennsylvania and he was not able to keep his card. He would go back to play on the Japan Golf Tour in 2004, where he currently plays.
Kuboya played in his first major championship in 2002 at The Open Championship, where he made the cut, but did not contend on the weekend. His next major was the 2009 Open Championship at Turnberry in Scotland. He finished his first round birdie, birdie, eagle, birdie to finish in a tie for second. He would finish the tournament tied for 27th.
Kuboya won his fifth Japan Golf Tour title at the 2011 Canon Open, nine years after his last win and subsequently won the 2012 Japan Open and the 2017 Panasonic Open.

Professional wins (7)

Japan Golf Tour wins (7)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin of
victory
Runner-up
111 May 1997Fujisankei Classic–5 1 stroke Yoshinori Kaneko, Masashi Ozaki
214 Dec 1997Daikyo Open–21 1 stroke Katsunori Kuwabara, Brian Watts
319 May 2002Japan PGA Championship–9 Playoff Shingo Katayama
426 May 2002Munsingwear Open KSB Cup–11 Playoff Yoshimitsu Fukuzawa, Todd Hamilton
59 Oct 2011Canon Open–14 5 strokes Chawalit Plaphol, Brad Kennedy,
Mamo Osanai
614 Oct 2012Japan Open Golf Championship+8 1 stroke Juvic Pagunsan
723 Apr 2017Panasonic Open Golf Championship1–11 Playoff Katsumasa Miyamoto

1Co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour
Japan Golf Tour playoff record
No.YearTournamentOpponentResult
12002Japan PGA Championship Shingo KatayamaWon with birdie on second extra hole
22002Munsingwear Open KSB Cup Yoshimitsu Fukuzawa, Todd HamiltonWon with birdie on fourth extra hole
32011Japan Open Golf Championship Bae Sang-moonLost to par on first extra hole
42017Panasonic Open Golf Championship Katsumasa MiyamotoWon after concession on first extra hole

Results in major championships

CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied

Results in World Golf Championships

"T" = Tied