Rikuya Hoshino Explained

Rikuya Hoshino
Birth Date:12 May 1996
Birth Place:Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan
Weight:76kg (168lb)
Status:Professional
Yearpro:2016
Tour:European Tour
Japan Golf Tour
Asian Tour
Prowins:8
Eurowins:1
Japwins:6
Otherwins:1
Masters:DNP
Pga:T60: 2022
Usopen:T26: 2021
Open:T60: 2023
Award1:Japan Golf Tour
Rookie of the Year
Year1:2018

Rikuya Hoshino (星野陸也, Hoshino Rikuya; born 12 May 1996) is a Japanese professional golfer who plays on the European Tour, where he claimed his first win in 2024 at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters. He has also played on the Japan Golf Tour since 2017 and has won six times on the tour.

Professional career

Hoshino turned professional in August 2016.[1] In early 2017, he won the Novil Cup on the Japan Challenge Tour.

Since 2017, Hoshino has played on the main Japan Golf Tour. His first win came in September 2018 at the Fujisankei Classic which he won by 5 strokes. With eight more top-10 finishes he finished 2018 as the 6th highest money winner on the tour. Hoshino qualified for the 2018 U.S. Open, his first major, where he missed the cut.[2]

In May 2019, Hoshino lost in a playoff for the Kansai Open Golf Championship before winning his second Japan Golf Tour event at the Dunlop Srixon Fukushima Open in June, a tournament reduced to 54 holes. A third-place finish in the Japan PGA Championship the following week lifted him into the top-100 of the Official World Golf Ranking. Later in 2019, he finished runner-up in the RIZAP KBC Augusta.

Hoshino won the Fujisankei Classic for the second time in 2020, beating Mikumu Horikawa at the third hole of a sudden-death playoff.[3]

In February 2024, Hoshino claimed his first victory on the European Tour at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters.[4]

Professional wins (8)

European Tour wins (1)

European Tour playoff record (0–1)

Japan Golf Tour wins (6)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin of
victory
Runner(s)-up
12 Sep 2018Fujisankei Classic−16 (68-68-66-66=268)5 strokes Shugo Imahira
230 Jun 2019Dunlop Srixon Fukushima Open−20 (67-64-65=196)*2 strokes Shota Akiyoshi
36 Sep 2020Fujisankei Classic (2)−9 (69-69-67-70=275)Playoff Mikumu Horikawa
425 Apr 2021Kansai Open Golf Championship−14 (66-67-68-69=270)2 strokes Chan Kim
516 May 2021Asia-Pacific Diamond Cup Golf−13 (72-65-69-69=275)4 strokes Juvic Pagunsan
630 Oct 2022Heiwa PGM Championship−22 (63-68-64-63=258)5 strokes Aguri Iwasaki, Chan Kim
*Note: The 2019 Dunlop Srixon Fukushima Open was shortened to 54 holes due to weather.

Japan Golf Tour playoff record (1–2)

No.YearTournamentOpponentResult
12019Kansai Open Golf Championship Tomoharu OtsukiLost to birdie on fourth extra hole
22020Fujisankei Classic Mikumu HorikawaWon with birdie on third extra hole
32022Mitsui Sumitomo Visa Taiheiyo Masters Ryo IshikawaLost to birdie on second extra hole

Japan Challenge Tour wins (1)

Results in major championships

Results not in chronological order before 2019 and in 2020.

Tournament2018201920202021202220232024
Masters Tournament
PGA ChampionshipCUTT60T62
U.S. OpenCUTT26CUTCUT
The Open ChampionshipNTCUTCUTT60CUT
CUT = missed the halfway cut
"T" = tied
NT = no tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Rikuya Hoshino . Japan Golf Tour Organization . 11 October 2019.
  2. News: Rikuya Hoshino earns U.S. Open spot as late entry . The Japan Times . 12 June 2018.
  3. Web site: Rikuya Hoshino makes V2 at Fujisankei CL after tough 3-hole playoffs . Japan Golf Tour Organization . 16 May 2021.
  4. News: Rikuya Hoshino wins Qatar Masters for 1st European tour title . ESPN . Associated Press . 11 February 2024 . 11 February 2024.