Hisako Higuchi
| Hisako Higuchi 樋口久子 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||||
| Full name | Hisako Higuchi | ||||
| Nickname | Chako | ||||
| Born | 13 October 1945 LPGA Tour | ||||
| Professional wins | 73 | ||||
| Number of wins by tour | |||||
| LPGA Tour | 2 | ||||
| LPGA of Japan Tour | 69 | ||||
| ALPG Tour | 1 | ||||
| Other | 1 | ||||
| Best results in LPGA major championships (wins: 1) | |||||
| Western Open | DNP | ||||
| Titleholders C'ship | DNP | ||||
| Chevron Championship | DNP | ||||
| Women's PGA C'ship | Won: 1977 | ||||
| U.S. Women's Open | T13: 1976 | ||||
| du Maurier Classic | DNP | ||||
| Achievements and awards | |||||
| |||||
Hisako "Chako" Higuchi (Japanese: 樋口久子, born 13 October 1945 in Kawagoe, Saitama) is a Japanese professional golfer.
Higuchi won the
LPGA Championship on 12 June 1977,[1] making her the first Asian-born player to win a major championship for either men or women. (No Asian-born player would win a men's major until Yang Yong-eun won the 2009 PGA Championship.) Alongside Ayako Okamoto
, she dominated the 1970s and 1980s in Japanese women's golf.
Higuchi studied golf from
LPGA Championship
.
Higuchi became President of the LPGA of Japan Tour in 1996. In 2003, she became the first Japanese golfer to be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.[2][3]
Professional wins
LPGA of Japan Tour (69)
- 1968 (2) Japan Women's Open, Japan LPGA Championship
- 1969 (2) Japan Women's Open, Japan LPGA Championship
- 1970 (3) Japan Women's Open, Japan LPGA Championship, JGP Ladies Open
- 1971 (4) Japan Women's Open, Japan LPGA Championship, JGP Ladies Open, Tokai Classic
- 1972 (5) Japan LPGA Championship, JPGA Asahi Kokusai Tournament, JGP Ladies Open, Tokai Classic, Mizuno Golf
- 1973 (7) Japan LPGA Championship, World Ladies, JGP Ladies Open, La Coste Cup Japan vs. U.S., Matsushima Ladies Open, Tokai Classic, Mizuno Golf
- 1974 (8) LPGA Japan Classic, Chikuma Kogen Ladies Open, Tokyo Charity Classic, Sunster Ladies Match, Mizuno Golf
- 1975 (1) Tokai Classic
- 1976 (5) Japan Women's Open, Japan LPGA Championship, Sanpo Champions, Miyagi TV Cup Ladies Open Golf Tournament, Tokai Classic
- 1977 (3) Japan Women's Open, Japan LPGA Championship, Tokai Classic
- 1978 (3) Junon Ladies Open, Shinkoh Classic LPGA Tournament, Japan LPGA East vs. West
- 1979 (5) Fuji Heigen Ladies Open, Shinkoh Classic LPGA Tournament, Japan LPGA East vs. West, Hokuriku Queens Golf Cup, Toyotomi Ladies
- 1980 (3) Japan Women's Open, KBS Kyoto Ladies Golf Tournament, Tokai Classic
- 1981 (3) Okinawa Makiminato Auto Ladies Tournament, Tokushima Tsukinomiya Ladies Open Golf Tournament, Pioneer Cup
- 1982 (2) Hokuriku Queens Golf Cup, Kumamoto Cyuoh Ladies
- 1983 (5) Kibun Ladies Classic, Paris Ladies Classic, Japan LPGA East vs. West, LPGA Japan vs. U.S., Daioh Seishi Elleair Ladies Open Golf Tournament
- 1984 (2) Kumamoto Cyuoh Ladies, Kibun Ladies Classic
- 1985 (1) Chukyo TV-Bridgestone Ladies Open
- 1986 (2) Fujitsu Ladies, Tsumura-Itsuki Classic
- 1987 (1) Yamaha Cup Ladies Open
- 1990 (2) an Queens, Kohsaido Asahi Golf Cup
LPGA Tour (2)
| Legend |
|---|
| LPGA Tour major championships (1) |
| Other LPGA Tour (1) |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 Aug 1976 | Colgate European Open | −12 (68-74-68-74=284) | 6 strokes |  Sandra Palmer Kathy Whitworth
|
| 2 | 12 Jun 1977 | LPGA Championship
|
−9 (71-67-72-69=279) | 3 strokes | Pat Bradley Sandra Post Judy Rankin
|
LPGA Tour playoff record (0–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponents | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1979 | Women's Kemper Open | Donna Caponi JoAnne Carner Nancy Lopez Jan Stephenson
|
Carner won with par on second extra hole Caponi, Lopez, and Stephenson eliminated by par on first hole |
ALPG Tour (1)
- 1974 Wills Australian Ladies Open
Other (1)
- 1983 Sports Nippon Team Match
Major championships
Wins (1)
| Year | Championship | Winning score | Margin | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | LPGA Championship |
−9 (71-67-72-69=279) | 3 strokes | Pat Bradley, Sandra Post, Judy Rankin
|
References
External links
- Hisako Higuchi at the LPGA of Japan Tour official site
- Hisako “Chako” Higuchi at the World Golf Hall of Fame
- Chako Higuchi bio at golfcompendium.com
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
