Isao Aoki
Isao Aoki (Japanese青木 功, Isao Aoki, born August 31, 1942 in Abiko, Chiba Prefecture, Japan ) is one of the most successful Japanese professional golfer. His nickname is " Tower " because he is tall by Japanese standards with 1.83 meters.
He grew up the son of a farmer and came up with 15 years in his spare time as a caddy in Abiko Golf Club, with golf in touch. As Aoki then Arnold Palmer first saw on television, he dreamed once of becoming a great golfer and play on the PGA TOUR. Palmer was his role model and the tenacity with which he pursued from then on his goal and was immediately after his graduation professional golfer.
Achievements
Throughout his career, Aoki creates more than 70 tournament wins, including 56 alone in his home. He recorded successes on six different tournament series around the world: PGA TOUR, Champions Tour, PGA European Tour, PGA Tour of Australasia, Japan Golf Tour and Japan Senior Tour. In 1978 he won the World Cup at the time as in Match Play prestigious World Match Play Championship in England.
Despite these countless victories Isao Aoki has probably owes its high profile in second place at the U.S. Open in 1980 at Baltusrol Golf Club. All four rounds with Jack Nicklaus, he played his best golf and walked the same impact with Nicklaus in the final round. Aoki waited patiently for his historic opportunity and achieved the second best result in the history of the U.S. Open one (274 strokes, 6 under par) - Nicklaus reached, however the best (272, 8 under ). After Aoki said: I kept saying to myself, no matter how perfect he is, he'll make a mistake, in four days and 72 holes. But I was wrong, Jack made a single mistake until the end of the tournament.
Trademarks
Aoki counted despite his unorthodox style ( with erected putter head ) to the best putters of his time and was praised for his famous golf colleagues such as Jack Nicklaus and Chi Chi Rodriguez. Although he naturally often the putter model changed in the course of his career, to become his trademark putting style changed Aoki never.
Senior career
As a senior Aoki played mainly on the Champions Tour, where he imports nine victories between 1992 and 2002. Seven other seniors title he won outside the U.S., five of them at the Japan Senior Open.
In 2004, Isao Aoki was recorded thus far the only Japanese in the World Golf Hall of Fame.