Ryuji Imada (born October 19, 1976) is a U.S.-based
Japanese professional golfer.
Imada was born in Mihara, Hiroshima, Japan. He came
to the USA when he was 14 to attend a Tampa golf
academy for Asian players. His instructor was (and
still is) Richard Abele, who became his legal
guardian. Under Abele's teaching, he won several of
the top tournaments on the amateur circuit and
reached the final of the 1997 U.S. Amateur Public
Links. His accomplishments in the American Junior
Golf Association led to a scholarship to University
of Georgia, where he played for two years and helped
the Bulldogs win the 1999 NCAA title. He turned
professional in 1999.
From 2000 to 2004 he played on the second tier
Nationwide Tour, winning the 2000 Buy.com Virginia
Beach Open and the 2004 BMW Charity Pro-Am at The
Cliffs. On the Monday following his win at the
Virginia Beach Open, Imada fired a back-nine score
of 29 in U.S. Open qualifying at Scotch Valley, in
Holidaysburg, PA. Imada was the medalist, with a
score of 64, and advanced to sectional qualifying.
His third place finish on the 2004 money list earned
him promotion to the PGA Tour.
In his first season at the elite level he had a best
placing of fifth and earned enough money to retain
his tour card for 2006. In the 2006 U.S. Open, Imada
fired closing rounds of 69-71 to finish in a tie for
12th. His 69 in round three was one of only six
under par rounds during a brutal weekend at Winged
Foot.
In 2007, Imada had his best finish on the PGA Tour,
finishing in 2nd place at the AT&T Classic, winning
$583,200. In 2008, Imada again finished in 2nd place
at the Buick Invitational, moving him into the top
100 of the Official World Golf Rankings. In May he
won his first PGA Tour tournament at the AT&T
Classic, beating Kenny Perry in a play-off.
