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Isao Ioki
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EXEMPT STATUS: Top 31
on 2001 SENIOR TOUR Money List
FULL NAME: Isao Aoki
HEIGHT: 6-0
WEIGHT: 180
BIRTHDATE: August 31, 1942
BIRTHPLACE: Abiko, Chiba, Japan
RESIDENCE: Tokyo, Japan
FAMILY: Wife, Chie; Joanne (4/17/67)
SPECIAL INTERESTS: Fishing, golf course design
TURNED PROFESSIONAL: 1964
JOINED TOUR: 1992
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| PGA TOUR Victories |
| (1) 1983 Hawaiian Open. |
| SENIOR TOUR Victories |
| (8) 1992 Nationwide Championship. 1994 Bank One Classic, Brickyard
Crossing Championship. 1995 Bank of Boston Senior Classic. 1996
BellSouth Senior Classic at Opryland, Kroger Senior Classic.
1997 Emerald Coast Classic. 1998 BellSouth Senior Classic at
Opryland. |
| Current Year Charles Schwab Cup Points
and Positions |
| 106 (25th) |
| Current Year SENIOR PGA TOUR Money and
Positions |
| $137,818 (34) |
| Current Year SENIOR TOUR Best Finishes |
| T2--Royal Caribbean Classic |
| Current Year SENIOR TOUR Best Round |
| 64 at Round 2, Royal Caribbean Classic |
| Current Year SENIOR TOUR Highlights |
| Made a run at victory in the rain-shortened Royal Caribbean
Classic, before eventually finishing second for the third time
in five appearances at Crandon Park. Final-round 64 was the
low round of the tournament but 10-under total for 36 holes
tied him with Tom Watson and Bruce Fleisher, one stroke behind
winner John Jacobs. |
| Best 2001 SENIOR TOUR Finishes |
| 2--Royal Caribbean Classic, U.S. Senior Open; T4--Allianz
Championship; T7--Turtle Bay Championship |
| 2001 Season SENIOR TOUR |
| Tournaments Entered--20; in money--20; Top-10 finishes--4 |
| 2001 Season Highlights |
| Returned to a spot among the top 31 on the SENIOR TOUR money
list after a two-year absence. Earned almost as much last year
as he made in the 1999 and 2000 seasons combined and came close
to winning twice...Started the year with a runner-up finish
at the Royal Caribbean Classic, one point short of Larry Nelson
in the Modified Stableford event. Four-putted the first hole
on Sunday, including a whiff for a double-bogey, that cost him
either an outright victory or a playoff. $123,200 check at the
Links at Key Biscayne put him over the $7-million mark in SENIOR
TOUR career money...Was the 36- and 54-hole leader at the U.S.
Senior Open and eventually tied for second along with Jim Colbert,
one stroke back of Bruce Fleisher. Performance at Salem CC was
his best finish in a U.S. Senior Open and best in a SENIOR TOUR
major since the 1997 FORD SENIOR PLAYERS Championship...Also
T4 at the inaugural Allianz Championship in Des Moines after
trailing Jim Thorpe by one stroke entering the final day...Made
his 1,000th professional start at the FORD SENIOR PLAYERS Championship...Returned
to Japan after the Turtle Bay Championship and did not play
in the season-ending SENIOR TOUR Championship at Gaillardia
even though he qualified for the event. |
| Career Highlights |
| 2000: Started the final round of the State Farm Senior Classic
four shots behind Leonard Thompson, but forced a playoff with
a final-round 65 that included birdies on three of the last
four holes. Eventually lost to Thompson for the second time
in his SENIOR TOUR career on the second hole of overtime. 1999:
Injured his right shoulder early in the campaign and subsequently
developed back problems that curtailed his season after the
AT&T Canada Senior Open Championship at the end of August...Had
three top-10 finishes highlighted by a runner-up performance
to Bruce Fleisher at the Royal Caribbean Classic. 1998: Climbed
past the $1 million earnings mark ($1,042,200) and finished
in the top-10 on the final money list (9th) for the fourth successive
season...One of four players to go wire-to-wire, winning the
BellSouth Senior Classic at Opryland in record fashion with
an 18-under-par 198, a tournament record. Also in Nashville,
his 36-hole total (62-66--128) tied the SENIOR TOUR record in
relation to par for the first 36 holes...Lost in a playoff to
Leonard Thompson at the Coldwell Banker Burnet Classic, T2 at
the Utah Showdown and was solo third at the FORD SENIOR PLAYERS
Championship. 1997: Enjoyed a career year that saw him finish
third on the money list with $1,410,499...Fifth consecutive
season he improved his position on the final chart...Finished
among the top three 10 times, with lone victory at the Emerald
Coast Classic...Fashioned a SENIOR TOUR-record 60 (10-under-par)
in the second round, and then, after a birdie on the final hole
in regulation to tie Gil Morgan, came back with another birdie
on the first playoff hole to claim the title...His 65 on Sunday,
coupled with his record 60, helped him establish a SENIOR TOUR
mark for best consecutive rounds (60-65-125), breaking the record
of 126 by Jim Colbert (62-64/1994) and Bob Murphy (63-63/1995)...Was
second five times, with two of those coming in majors -- The
Tradition and PGA Seniors' Championship...Finished over par
in just three events: MasterCard Championship (+4), PGA Seniors'
Championship (+4) and the U.S. Senior Open (+16). 1996: Won
the BellSouth Senior Classic at Opryland and the Kroger Senior
Classic...Named the SENIOR TOUR Player of the Month in May and
June. 1995: Won over $1 million for first time in his career,
helped by a win at the Bank of Boston Senior Classic, where
he birdied the final hole to nip Bob Charles and Hale Irwin...Finished
second four times, including playoff loss to Jack Nicklaus at
The Tradition...Led the SENIOR TOUR in putting. 1994: Caught
fire in the fall, winning back-to-back events at the Bank One
Classic and the rain-shortened Brickyard Crossing Championship...Almost
earned a third win at The Transamerica, but lost on the first
extra hole to Kermit Zarley...Played his final 10 holes at Silverado
in 10-under-par (8 birdies, 1 eagle, 1 par) and carded an 8-under-par
29 on the back nine en route to a 63 that forced the playoff...Player
of the Month for September. 1993: Top showing was a T2 at the
GTE West Classic and was in top 10 in 12 of 23 starts. 1992:
Had impressive rookie year with six top-10 finishes in seven
starts highlighted by victory at the Nationwide Championship...Shot
a 66 on Saturday to take a one-stroke lead and was declared
the winner when the final round was canceled by rain...Victory
made him the first Japanese player to win on both the PGA TOUR
and the SENIOR PGA TOUR...Made SENIOR TOUR debut at the First
of America Classic. |
| Personal |
| Was introduced to golf as a caddie at the Abiko Golf Club
while attending Abiko Junior High School...Earned the nickname
'Tower' after the Tokyo Tower, because of his height (6 foot)...Uses
an unorthodox putting stroke, but considers that to be the strongest
part of his game. |
| SENIOR TOUR Playoff Record |
| 1-4 |
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