Isao Aoki

Isao Aoki is a Japanese professional golfer who became the first Japanese winner on the PGA Tour and is celebrated for his epic final-round duel with Jack Nicklaus at the 1980 U.S. Open.

Isao Aoki, nicknamed 'Tower' for his height, was born on August 31, 1942, in Abiko, Chiba, Japan, and was introduced to golf while caddying as a schoolboy. He turned professional in 1964 and became the dominant force on the Japan Golf Tour, winning more than 50 events between 1972 and 1990, second only to Masashi 'Jumbo' Ozaki on the all-time list, and topping the money list five times. Aoki's most celebrated performance came at the 1980 U.S. Open at Baltusrol, where he was paired with Jack Nicklaus for all four rounds and shared the lead heading into the final day, ultimately finishing runner-up as Nicklaus carded a record-setting 272 to claim his fourth title; Aoki's 274 remains one of the lowest 72-hole totals in the championship's history. Aoki made history in 1983 by winning the Hawaiian Open, becoming the first Japanese and first Asian player ever to win a PGA Tour event, and later that year also won the Panasonic European Open at Sunningdale, becoming his only European Tour victory, finishing ahead of Seve Ballesteros and Nick Faldo. Renowned for an unorthodox, toe-up putting stroke that Chi Chi Rodríguez called unlike anything he had ever seen, Aoki went on to win nine times on the U.S. Senior/Champions Tour and became the first Japanese male golfer inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2004. He later served four terms as director of the Japan Golf Tour Organization.

Renowned for an unorthodox toe-up putting style and consistent, versatile scoring across six professional tours

Regarded as the pioneering figure of Japanese golf on the world stage, and one of the finest putters the sport has produced

• First Japanese winner on the PGA Tour (1983 Hawaiian Open)
• World Golf Hall of Fame (2004)
• U.S. Open runner-up (1980)
• 5x Japan Golf Tour money list winner
• 80+ professional wins across six tours