# Takaaki Kono > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Takaaki_Kono > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Takaaki_Kono.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takaaki_Kono > Source revision: 1331225559 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Japanese professional golfer (1940–2010) Takaaki Kono Personal information Born (1940-01-04)4 January 1940 Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan Died 22 April 2010(2010-04-22) (aged 70) Height 1.60 m (5 ft 3 in) Weight 64 kg (141 lb; 10.1 st) Sporting nationality Japan Career Status Professional Former tours Japan Golf Tour Asia Golf Circuit Professional wins 17 Number of wins by tour Japan Golf Tour 2 Other 15 Best results in major championships Masters Tournament T12: 1970 PGA Championship DNP U.S. Open DNP The Open Championship DNP **Takaaki Kono** (4 January 1940 – 22 April 2010) was a Japanese [professional golfer](/source/Professional_golfer). ## Early life Kono was born in [Kanagawa Prefecture](/source/Kanagawa_Prefecture), Japan in 1940. He started playing golf at the age of 15.[1] ## Professional career Kono had much success on the Japanese and [Asian](/source/Asian_Golf_Circuit) circuits at the beginning of his career, winning several times. One of his top successes was at the 1969 [Malaysian Open](/source/Malaysian_Open_(golf)). 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](/source/John_Lister_(golfer)) and Australia's [David Graham](/source/David_Graham_(golfer)).[2] This performance helped him earn his first special foreign invitation to the [Masters Tournament](/source/1969_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.[3] However he stumbled home on the final day and did not seriously contend for the championship, won by [George Archer](/source/George_Archer).[4] 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[5] where he remained after the third round.[6] 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](/source/First_Flight_Tournament) during the first official season of the [Japan Golf Tour](/source/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) No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of victory Runners-up 1 23 Sep 1973 First Flight Tournament −18 (65-68-65=198)[a] 6 strokes Ben Arda, Masashi Ozaki 2 24 Jul 1983 Kanagawa Open −8 (64-72=136) 3 strokes Yurio Akitomi, Satoshi Higashi, Kazushige Kono ### Asia Golf Circuit (3) No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of victory Runner(s)-up 1 16 Mar 1969 Malaysian Open −8 (72-70-72-66=280) 1 stroke David Graham, John Lister 2 14 Mar 1971 Malaysian Open (2) −19 (67-66-64-72=269) 2 strokes David Graham 3 5 Mar 1972 Singapore Open −9 (67-70-74-68=279) 4 strokes Takashi Murakami ### Other wins (12) - *This list may be incomplete* - 1967 [Nippon Series](/source/Nippon_Series_(golf)) - 1968 [Japan Open](/source/Japan_Open_Golf_Championship), [Nippon Series](/source/Nippon_Series_(golf)), [Brazil Open](/source/Brazil_Open) - 1969 [Dunlop Tournament](/source/Dunlop_Tournament_(Japan)) - 1970 Champions Tournament,[7] Grand Monarch,[8] [Rolex Tournament](/source/Rolex_Tournament) - 1971 Champions Tournament,[7] Grand Monarch[9] - 1972 Champions Tournament[7] - 1973 Champions Tournament[7] ## Results in major championships Tournament 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 Masters Tournament T13 T12 CUT T19 T51 CUT = missed the half-way cut "T" = tied *Note: Kono only played in the Masters Tournament.* ## Team appearances - [World Cup](/source/World_Cup_(men's_golf)) (representing Japan): [1968](/source/1968_World_Cup_(men's_golf)), [1969](/source/1969_World_Cup_(men's_golf)), [1970](/source/1970_World_Cup_(men's_golf)), [1971](/source/1971_World_Cup_(men's_golf)), [1972](/source/1972_World_Cup_(men's_golf)) ## Notes 1. **[^](#cite_ref-weather_7-0)** Shortened to 54 holes due to weather. ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Takaaki Kono – Profile"](https://www.jgto.org/pc/PlayerProfileEng.do?playerCd=347&playerTourKbn=0). Japan Golf Tour Organization. Retrieved 5 December 2019. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-:1_2-0)** ["Japanese Comes from Behind"](https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=W5VAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=GaUMAAAAIBAJ&pg=6436%2C2764425). *Glasgow Herald*. Reuters. 17 March 1969. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Casper Leads in Masters"](https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=HrZWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=gukDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7269,4977894). *The Spokesman-Review*. 13 April 1969. pp. 1, 3. Retrieved 5 December 2019. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-:0_4-0)** ["Takaaki Kono"](http://www.golfmajorchampionships.com/players?player=315). *Golf Major Championships*. Retrieved 5 December 2019. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Golf"](https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=dKxVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=POEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4940,2436369). *Eugene Register-Guard*. 11 April 1970. p. 2B. Retrieved 5 December 2019. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Sports Scoreboard"](https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=daxVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=POEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6877,2589723). *Eugene Register-Guard*. 12 April 1970. p. 6B. Retrieved 5 December 2019. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-fourtimer_8-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-fourtimer_8-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-fourtimer_8-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-fourtimer_8-3) ["Kono wins Japan golf"](https://www.newspapers.com/image/334440264/). *The Tampa Tribune*. Tampa, Florida. AP. 9 June 1973. p. 2-C. Retrieved 6 February 2021 – via Newspapers.com. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Japan enter 36 for Malaysian golf"](https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19710126-1.2.122.1). *The Straits Times*. 26 January 1971. p. 29. Retrieved 6 February 2021 – via National Library Board (Singapore). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["Siz Japanese pros start island safari"](https://www.newspapers.com/image/261020547/). *Honolulu Advertiser*. Honolulu, Hawaii. 3 December 1971. p. F-4. Retrieved 6 February 2021 – via Newspapers.com. ## External links - [Takaaki Kono](https://www.jgto.org/en/player/347/profile) at the [Japan Golf Tour](/source/Japan_Golf_Tour) official site Authority control databases International ISNI VIAF National Japan Academics CiNii --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Takaaki Kono](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takaaki_Kono) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takaaki_Kono?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.