Takaaki Kono

{{short description|Japanese professional golfer (1940–2010)}} {{use dmy dates|date=December 2019}} {{Infobox golfer | name = Takaaki Kono | image = | image_size =  | caption = | fullname = | nickname = | birth_date = {{Birth date|1940|1|4|df=y}} | birth_place = [[Kanagawa Prefecture]], [[Japan]] | death_date = {{Death date and age|2010|4|22|1940|1|4|df=y}} | death_place = | height = {{height|m=1.60|precision=0}} | weight = {{convert|64|kg|lb st|abbr=on}} | nationality = {{JPN}} | spouse = | partner = | children = | college = | status = Professional | yearpro =  | retired =  | extour = [[Japan Golf Tour]] [[Asia Golf Circuit]] | prowins = 17 | japwins = 2 | otherwins = 15 | majorwins =  | masters = T12: 1970 | usopen = DNP | open = DNP | pga = DNP | wghofid =  | wghofyear =  | award1 =  | year1 =  | award2 = | year2 = | awardssection =  }} '''Takaaki Kono''' (4 January 1940 – 22 April 2010) was a Japanese [[professional golfer]].

== Early life == Kono was born in [[Kanagawa Prefecture]], Japan in 1940. He started playing golf at the age of 15.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.jgto.org/pc/PlayerProfileEng.do?playerCd=347&playerTourKbn=0 |title=Takaaki Kono – Profile |publisher=Japan Golf Tour Organization |access-date=2019-12-05}}</ref>

== Professional career == Kono had much success on the Japanese and [[Asian Golf Circuit|Asian]] circuits at the beginning of his career, winning several times. One of his top successes was at the 1969 [[Malaysian Open (golf)|Malaysian Open]]. Six shots behind at the beginning of the final round, Kono fired a 66 (−6) to capture the title by one shot over New Zealand's [[John Lister (golfer)|John Lister]] and Australia's [[David Graham (golfer)|David Graham]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=W5VAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=GaUMAAAAIBAJ&pg=6436%2C2764425 |title=Japanese Comes from Behind |date=March 17, 1969 |newspaper=Glasgow Herald |agency=Reuters }}</ref>

This performance helped him earn his first special foreign invitation to the [[1969 Masters Tournament|Masters Tournament]] that April. At Augusta, he shot a third round 68 (−4) put him in the top ten and a slight chance for the title.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=HrZWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=gukDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7269,4977894 |title=Casper Leads in Masters |date=April 13, 1969 |newspaper=The Spokesman-Review |pages=1, 3 |access-date=2019-12-05}}</ref> However he stumbled home on the final day and did not seriously contend for the championship, won by [[George Archer]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |url=http://www.golfmajorchampionships.com/players?player=315 |website=Golf Major Championships |title=Takaaki Kono |access-date=2019-12-05}}</ref> This would be the beginning of a relatively long relationship with the event, however, as Kono would be invited to play in the tournament several more times. The following year, Kono played just as well, again shooting another 68 (this time in the second round) to place in the top ten once again<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=dKxVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=POEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4940,2436369 |title=Golf |date=April 11, 1970 |page=2B |newspaper=Eugene Register-Guard |access-date=2019-12-05}}</ref> where he remained after the third round.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=daxVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=POEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6877,2589723 |title=Sports Scoreboard |date=April 12, 1970 |newspaper=Eugene Register-Guard |page=6B |access-date=2019-12-05}}</ref> A final round 74 assured that he did not seriously contend on Sunday but he would pick up his best performance in a major championship. Kono would play in the event several more times in the early 1970s.

Kono continued to have success on the Japanese and Asian circuits, winning multiple events. He won the [[First Flight Tournament]] during the first official season of the [[Japan Golf Tour]], but would not win again on the tour until a decade later at the Kanagawa Open.

==Professional wins (17)== ===PGA of Japan Tour wins (2)=== {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;" !No.!!Date!!Tournament!!Winning score!!Margin of victory!!Runners-up |- |align=center|1 |align=right|23 Sep [[1973 PGA of Japan Tour|1973]] |[[First Flight Tournament]] |−18 (65-68-65=198){{efn|name=weather|Shortened to 54 holes due to weather.}} |6 strokes |{{flagicon|PHI|1936}} [[Ben Arda]], {{flagicon|JPN|1870}} [[Masashi Ozaki]] |- |align=center|2 |align=right|24 Jul [[1983 PGA of Japan Tour|1983]] |[[Kanagawa Open]] |−8 (64-72=136) |3 strokes |{{flagicon|JPN|1870}} [[Yurio Akitomi]], {{flagicon|JPN|1870}} [[Satoshi Higashi]], {{flagicon|JPN|1870}} [[Kazushige Kono]] |}

===Asia Golf Circuit (3)=== {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;" !No.!!Date!!Tournament!!Winning score!!Margin of victory!!Runner(s)-up |- |align=center|1 |align=right|16 Mar [[1969 Asia Golf Circuit|1969]] |[[Malaysian Open (golf)|Malaysian Open]] |−8 (72-70-72-66=280) |1 stroke |{{flagicon|AUS}} [[David Graham (golfer)|David Graham]], {{flagicon|NZL}} [[John Lister (golfer)|John Lister]] |- |align=center|2 |align=right|14 Mar [[1971 Asia Golf Circuit|1971]] |[[Malaysian Open (golf)|Malaysian Open]] (2) |−19 (67-66-64-72=269) |2 strokes |{{flagicon|AUS}} [[David Graham (golfer)|David Graham]] |- |align=center|3 |align=right|5 Mar [[1972 Asia Golf Circuit|1972]] |[[Singapore Open (golf)|Singapore Open]] |−9 (67-70-74-68=279) |4 strokes |{{flagicon|JPN|1870}} [[Takashi Murakami (golfer)|Takashi Murakami]] |}

===Other wins (12)=== :''This list may be incomplete'' *1967 [[Nippon Series (golf)|Nippon Series]] *1968 [[Japan Open Golf Championship|Japan Open]], [[Nippon Series (golf)|Nippon Series]], [[Brazil Open]] *1969 [[Dunlop Tournament (Japan)|Dunlop Tournament]] *1970 Champions Tournament,<ref name=fourtimer/> Grand Monarch,<ref>{{cite news |title=Japan enter 36 for Malaysian golf |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19710126-1.2.122.1 |access-date=6 February 2021 |work=The Straits Times |date=26 January 1971 |page=29 |via=National Library Board (Singapore)}}</ref> [[Rolex Tournament]] *1971 Champions Tournament,<ref name=fourtimer/> Grand Monarch<ref>{{cite news |title=Siz Japanese pros start island safari |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/261020547/ |access-date=6 February 2021 |work=Honolulu Advertiser |date=3 December 1971 |location=Honolulu, Hawaii |page=F-4 |via=Newspapers.com |url-access=subscription}}</ref> *1972 Champions Tournament<ref name=fourtimer/> *1973 Champions Tournament<ref name=fourtimer>{{cite news |title=Kono wins Japan golf |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/334440264/ |access-date=6 February 2021 |work=The Tampa Tribune |agency=AP |date=9 June 1973 |location=Tampa, Florida |page=2-C |via=Newspapers.com |url-access=subscription}}</ref>

==Results in major championships== {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;text-align:center;" !Tournament !1969 !1970 !1971 !1972 !1973 |- |align=left|[[Masters Tournament]] |T13 |T12 |CUT |T19 |T51 |} CUT = missed the half-way cut "T" = tied ''Note: Kono only played in the Masters Tournament.''

==Notes== {{notelist}}

== References == {{reflist}}

==External links== *{{JapanTour player|347}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kono, Takaaki}} [[Category:Japanese male golfers]] [[Category:Japan Golf Tour golfers]] [[Category:Golfers from Kanagawa Prefecture]] [[Category:1940 births]] [[Category:2010 deaths]] [[Category:20th-century Japanese sportsmen]]