is a Japanese professional golfer. She won 62 tournaments internationally, including 17 on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour in the 1980s and 1990s. She is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Early life In 1951, Okamoto was born in Akitsu, Hiroshima, now part of Higashihiroshima, Hiroshima, Japan. In her youth and early 20s she was a softball player. She was the star pitcher on the Japanese national champion in 1971. Her club team was owned by the textile company Daiwabo, where Okamoto worked.

Her employer, Daiwabo, owned a golf facility next door, and when she was 22, Okamoto finally decided to start playing golf. Although she pitched softball left-handed, she learned golf right-handed.

Professional career In 1975, Okamoto joined the LPGA of Japan Tour. Three years later, at age 25, she won the Mizuno Corporation Tournament. In 1979, at the age of 28, Okamoto won the Japan LPGA Championship and in 1981 she won eight times in Japan and topped the LPGA of Japan money list.

Okamoto was a superstar in Japan, but she decided to branch out and joined the American LPGA Tour in 1981. From 1982 through 1992, Okamoto won 17 times, her first coming at the 1982 Arizona Copper Classic. Okamoto was a consistent winner on the LPGA Tour, claiming four wins in 1987 (plus four runners-up and 17 top-10s) and three wins each in 1984 and 1988. In 1987, she led the tour's money list and earned the LPGA Tour Player of the Year award, the first non-American to do either.

The only thing Okamoto did not do in the United States was win a major. She finished as runner-up six times in major championships. Her best opportunities came in 1986, when she lost a sudden death playoff to Pat Bradley at the du Maurier Classic and in 1987 when she lost an 18-hole playoff to Laura Davies for the U.S. Women's Open crown (JoAnne Carner was also in the playoff). She was in the top-10 at the Open every year from 1983 to 1987, and in the top-10 at the LPGA Championship every year from 1984 to 1991.

Okamoto's last LPGA victory was in 1992, and 1993 was her last year to play a full or half schedule in the U.S. Okamoto returned to Japan after 1993, where she played until 2005. In addition to her 17 LPGA wins, Okamoto also won 44 times on the LPGA of Japan Tour, and twice on the Ladies European Tour.

Awards and honors In 1981, she led the money list for the LPGA of Japan Tour In 1987, she led the LPGA money list and was awarded the LPGA Player of the Year. In 2005, she entered the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Professional wins (62) LPGA Tour wins (17) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner(s)-up128 Feb 1982Arizona Copper Classic−7 (70-72-70-69=281)Playoff Sally Little226 Jun 1983Rochester International−6 (68-71-67-76=282)Playoff Donna White Kathy Whitworth315 Apr 1984J&B Scotch Pro-Am−14 (70-67-71-67=275)5 strokes Donna White417 Jun 1984Mayflower Classic−7 (73-67-71-70=281)2 strokes Judy Dickinson Donna White56 Oct 1984Hitachi Ladies British Open−3 (71-71-70-77=289)11 strokes Betsy King Dale Reid62 Feb 1986Elizabeth Arden Classic−8 (69-67-73-71=280)1 stroke Muffin Spencer-Devlin77 Sep 1986Cellular One-Ping Golf Championship−9 (70-71-66=207)6 strokes Nancy Lopez Colleen Walker812 Apr 1987Kyocera Inamori Golf Classic−13 (66-70-69-70=275)1 stroke Betsy King917 May 1987Chrysler-Plymouth Classic−4 (70-74-71=215)2 strokes Jane Geddes Colleen Walker1021 Jun 1987Lady Keystone Open−8 (70-74-64=208)1 stroke Laurie Rinker1130 Aug 1987Nestle World Championship−6 (70-68-73-71=282)1 stroke Betsy King1227 Feb 1988Orient Leasing Hawaiian Ladies Open−3 (69-72-72=213)1 stroke JoAnne Carner Deb Richard1310 Apr 1988San Diego Inamori Golf Classic−12 (69-71-63-69=272)1 stroke Colleen Walker1431 Jul 1988Greater Washington Open−7 (69-70-67=206)1 stroke Connie Chillemi Beth Daniel1528 May 1989LPGA Corning Classic−12 (69-66-67-70=272)6 strokes Beth Daniel166 May 1990Sara Lee Classic−6 (71-71-68=210)1 stroke Pat Bradley JoAnne Carner Dawn Coe Betsy King Colleen Walker177 Jun 1992McDonald's Championship−8 (67-69-69=205)3 strokes Pat Bradley Brandie Burton Deb Richard Note: Okamoto won the Hitachi Ladies British Open (now known as the Women's British Open) before it became recognized as a major championship by the LPGA Tour in 2001.

LPGA Tour playoff record (2–4) No.YearTournamentOpponent(s)Result11982 Arizona Copper Classic Sally LittleWon with birdie on second extra hole21983 Rochester International Donna White Kathy WhitworthWon with birdie on third extra hole31986du Maurier Classic Pat BradleyLost to birdie on first extra hole41986Konica San Jose Classic Amy Alcott Betsy King Patty SheehanSheehan won with birdie on first extra hole51987U.S. Women's Open JoAnne Carner Laura DaviesLost 18-hole playoff (Davies:71, Okamoto:73, Carner:74)61989Rochester International Patty SheehanLost to par on first extra hole LPGA majors are shown in bold. Source:

LPGA of Japan Tour wins (44) 1975 (1) Mizuno Golf 1976 (1) All-Star 1977 (4) World Ladies, Tohoku Queens, Asahi Toys, Japan Ladies Professional East vs. West 1978 (1) KTV Ladies Classic 1979 (2) Japan LPGA Championship, Tokai Classic 1980 (3) Kumamoto Cyuoh Ladies, Hokuriku Queens, Saikai National Park Ladies Open 1981 (8) Sanin Ladies Golf, KBS Ladies, Fuji Ladies Classic, Hokuriku Queens, Stanley Ladies, Japan Ladies Professional East vs West, Miyagi TV Women's Open, Sanyo Queens 1982 (4) Tohato Ladies, Dunlop Ladies, Japan LPGA Championship, Tokai Classic 1983 (1) Sanyo Queens 1984 (1) Tsumura Itsuki Classic 1986 (1) Nichirei Ladies Cup 1987 (1) Konica Cup World Ladies 1989 (2) Tokai Classic, Itoki Classic 1990 (1) Japan LPGA Championship 1991 (3) Yamaha Cup Ladies, Karuizawa 72 Tokyu Ladies Open, Kosaido Asahi Cup 1992 (2) Tohato Ladies, Fujisankei Ladies Classic 1993 (2) Japan Women's Open Golf Championship, Itoen Ladies 1994 (3) Tohato Ladies, Itoki Classic, Kosaido Asahi Cup 1996 (1) Fujisankei Ladies Classic 1997 (1) Japan Women's Open Golf Championship 1999 (1) Katokichi Queens

Tournament in bold denotes major championships on LPGA of Japan Tour.

Ladies European Tour wins (2) 1984 (1) Hitachi Ladies British Open (co-sanctioned by the LPGA Tour) 1990 (1) Lufthansa Ladies' German Open

Results in LPGA majors Tournament 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 Nabisco Championship–T40T64T34WDT5T35CUTT6T6LPGA ChampionshipT44T7T5T3T3T32T9T2U.S. Women's OpenT38T8T8T8T3T2T12T11T32T15du Maurier Classic T102T6922T13T24T31 Tournament 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 Nabisco ChampionshipT1279T19T37T4864CUTT67LPGA ChampionshipT15T37T28CUTU.S. Women's OpenCUTT7T49T21du Maurier Classic

CUT = missed the half-way cut. WD = withdrew "T" = tied

Summary Tournament Wins 2nd 3rd Top-5 Top-10 Top-25 Events Cuts madeNabisco Championship 0 0 0 1 3 5 17 15LPGA Championship 0 2 3 6 8 9 13 12U.S. Women's Open 0 1 1 2 6 10 14 13du Maurier Classic 0 3 0 3 4 6 8 8Totals 0 6 4 12 21 30 52 48 Most consecutive cuts made – 25 (1982 U.S. Open – 1988 U.S. Open) Longest streak of top-10s – 7 (1986 LPGA – 1987 U.S. Open) Source:

See also List of golfers with most LPGA Tour wins

References

External links

Ayako Okamoto bio at golfcompendium.com