Who is Keita Nakajima? Five facts to know about Hero India Open winner

Published at :April 5, 2024 at 5:18 PM

Modified at :April 5, 2024 at 5:18 PM

(Courtesy : Getty Images)

Keita Nakajima won the Hero India Open pocketing $2.25m in prize money.

Keita Nakajima is a Japanese professional golfer who has won numerous competitions in an amateur setting, dominating the World Amateur Golf Ranking for 87 consecutive weeks. He began playing golf at six years-old and captured the Australian Amateur and the 2021 Japan Amateur Championships. Nakajima also claimed the title of the Duke of York Young Champions Trophy and thereafter won the Australian Master of the Amateurs in 2019. In 2018, he was the runner-up at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AA) and won the AA in 2021.

Nakajima turned professional in 2022 and the first event he participated in both professionally and on the PGA Tour was the 2022 Zozo Championship. In 2023, he competed three times on the Japan Golf Tour and topped the earnings record list. In March 2024, this player managed to win the title of the Hero Indian Open on the European Tour, becoming the third Japanese champion of this tournament.

Keita Nakajima is now emerging as a big name in golf. Here is a list of five facts about Keita Nakajima:

Major journey so far

Japan’s Keita Nakajima has secured a spot at three major tournaments this season after winning the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in November. He is the third player from Japan to win the event, following Hideki Matsuyama and Takumi Kanaya. Nakajima also earned an exemption into the US Open by becoming the No. 1 men’s amateur in 2021.

PGA debut from Japanese golf

Nakajima, a former player on the Japan Golf Tour, has won the Panasonic Open and made a respectable T28 finish on his PGA Tour debut at the Zozo Championship. He credits his success to his friend Kanaya, who was part of the Japan national team under Australian coach Gareth Jones.

Nakajima learned from Matsuyama, who was awarded the McCormack Medal and won the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship. He grew up admiring Takumi Kanaya, who followed in the footsteps of Hideki Matsuyama. As a senior player, Nakajima believes it is his responsibility to set a positive example for future players.

Inspired by Tiger Woods & Collin Morikawa

Japanese golfer Nakajima has always been passionate about golf, starting to play at around six years-old. He was inspired by Tiger Woods’ clutch plays and his emphatic fist pumps during his victories. Nakajima aspires to emulate Woods and was impressed by Collin Morikawa’s winner’s speech at The Open last year.

He believes that Woods’ clutch style and Morikawa’s ability to deliver a memorable speech will aid him in his journey to become a professional golfer. Nakajima’s family also plays golf and he has always aspired to turn professional.

Aiming for PGA Tour success

Japan’s Keita Nakajima aspires to follow in the footsteps of his compatriot Hideki Matsuyama by securing a full-time spot on the PGA Tour. Nakajima acknowledges the weight of being the first Japanese player to achieve significant success and he finds this challenge exhilarating. His primary objective is to compete successfully on the PGA Tour and he plans to enhance his skills during his amateur career.

Nakajima intends to participate in Japan Golf Tour Organization (JGTO) events and would eagerly seize the opportunity to play on either the PGA Tour or the Korn Ferry Tour if it arises. His commitment extends to competing at as many JGTO events as possible.

Compared to Dustin Johnson

Golf Digest compared Nakajima’s impact position to Dustin Johnson, a player who has never seen someone swing like him. Although Nakajima hasn’t tried to mimic Johnson’s swing, he is working on hitting farther, stating that he has never seen someone swing like him.

Keita Nakajima: Career in numbers

• Nakajima clinched his first DP World Tour win on his 11th appearance

• He is the fourth player from Japan to win the Hero Indian Open, joining Hidezumi Shirakata (1996), Junichi Takahashi (1983), and Kenji Hosoishi (1967 and ’68)

• This is his first 54-hole lead on the DP World Tour

• This is his Rookie season on the DP World Tour. He earned his card for the 2024 Race to Dubai after finishing at the top of the Money List on the Japan Golf Tour Organisation last year.

• He is a four-time winner on the Japan Golf Tour, with three victories in 2023 and one as an amateur in 2021

• Spent a record 87 weeks at the top of the World Amateur Golf Rankings, surpassing Jon Rahm’s previous record of 60 weeks, before turning professional in 2022

• His four-stroke lead after 54 holes is the joint-largest this season, matching Thorbjørn Olesen at the Ras Al Khaimah Championship

• His highest finish this season was fourth at the Ras Al Khaimah Championship

• He is likely to move as high as 12th from 90th spot on the Race to Dubai Rankings on 657.40 points

• He could move as high as first from 28th place on the Asian Swing Rankings on 525.80 points

• He could move to a new career high of 80th on the Official World Golf Rankings, from 111th. His previous highest ranking was 88th (Jan 2024)

• This is the second win by a player from Japan on the 2024 Race to Dubai, adding to Rikuya Hoshino’s victory at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters in February

• This is the first season in DP World Tour history with multiple victories by Japanese players

• This is the seventh win by a player from Japan on the DP World Tour

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