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Isao Aoki
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EXEMPT STATUS:Top 31 on 2002 Champions Tour Money List
FULL NAME:IsaoAoki
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. |
| Champions Tour Victories |
| (9)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. 2002 The Instinet Classic. |
| International Victories |
| 1994 Japan Senior Open. 1995 American Express Grandslam, Japan
Senior Open. 1996 Japan Senior Open. 1997 Japan Senior Open. |
| Current YearCharles Schwab Cup Pointsand Positions |
| 106 (27) |
| Current YearChampions TourMoney and Positions |
| $180,876 (32) |
| Current Year Best Champions Tour Finishes |
| T6--Royal Caribbean Golf Classic |
| Current Year Champions Tour Best Round |
| 67at Round 2, MasterCard Championship |
| Current YearChampions TourHighlights |
| T6 at the Royal Caribbean Golf Classic, his fifth top-10 finish
in the last six years at the event. Fell to Dale Douglass in
a playoff for the Georgia-Pacific Grand Champions title at the
Royal Caribbean event. |
| Best PGA TOUR Finishes |
| 1--1983 Hawaiian Open. |
| Best Champions Tour Finishes |
| 1--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. 2002 The Instinet Classic. |
| Best 2002 Champions TourFinishes |
| 1--The Instinet Classic,T2--Royal Caribbean Classic,T6--Turtle
Bay Championship,T8--TD Waterhouse Championship |
| 2002 Season Champions Tour |
| Tournaments Entered--19;in money--18;Top 10 finishes--4 |
| 2002 Season Highlights |
| Earned first victory since the 1998 season when he was a four-stroke
winner over John Jacobs at The Instinet Classic in May...Had
13 birdies and one bogey on the weekend on his way to victory.
Made up two strokes the final day to earn a career-best check
for $225,000 while posting his ninth career win on the Champions
Tour. His previous best check was $209,799 when he T2 at the
2001 U.S. Senior Open...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. 10-under total for 36
holes tied him with Tom Watson and Bruce Fleisher, one stroke
behind winner John Jacobs...Earned a spot in the season-ending
event in Oklahoma City for the top-31 money winners for the
second consecutive year, but chose to return to his native Japan
and did not participate...Made his debut in the Georgia-Pacific
Grand Champions competition (players 60 and older) in September
and was a two-time runner-up to Jim Colbert, losing playoffs
on both occasions. |
| Career Highlights |
| 2001: Returned to a spot among the top 31 on the Champions
Tour money list. Earned almost as much 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...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...Made his 1,000th professional
start at the FORD SENIOR PLAYERS Championship. 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 Champions 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...Best finish was a runner-up
performance to Bruce Fleisher at the Royal Caribbean Classic.
1998: 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...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: Had best year of his career and it marked the fifth consecutive
season he improved his position on the final chart...Lone victory
came at the Emerald Coast Classic...Fashioned a Champions 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 then-Champions 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.
1996: Won the BellSouth Senior Classic at Opryland and the Kroger
Senior Classic...Named the Champions 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...Was second four times, including playoff loss to Jack
Nicklaus at The Tradition. 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. 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 Champions Tour...Made Champions
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. |
| Champions Tour Playoff Record |
| 1-4 |
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