Akie Iwai (岩井 明愛, Iwai Akie) (born 5 July 2002) is a Japanese professional golfer. She plays on the LPGA of Japan Tour where she has 6 wins.[1]
| Akie Iwai 岩井 明愛 | |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Born | 5 July 2002 Saitama Prefecture, Japan |
| Height | 161 cm (5 ft 3 in) |
| Sporting nationality |  Japan |
| Career | |
| Turned professional | 2021 |
| Current tour(s) | LPGA of Japan Tour (joined 2021) LPGA Tour |
| Professional wins | 8 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| LPGA of Japan Tour | 6 |
| Other | 2 |
| Best results in LPGA major championships | |
| Chevron Championship | T30: 2024 |
| Women's PGA C'ship | T32: 2024 |
| U.S. Women's Open | 74: 2024 |
| Women's British Open | T7: 2024 |
| Evian Championship | T10: 2024 |
Early life and amateur career
editIwai was born in Saitama Prefecture and started playing golf at 8 years old.[1] In 2019, she won the Junior Golf World Cup.
Professional career
editIwai turned professional and joined the LPGA of Japan Tour in 2021. As a rookie she won a title on the developmental circuit, the Step-Up tour, and the JLPGA Rookies Championship.[1]
She had her breakthrough in 2023 when she won three titles and finished second on the money list.[2]
In 2024, she finished top-10 in two LPGA majors, and rose to 26th in the Women's World Golf Rankings.[3][4]
In December 2024, Iwai earned her LPGA Tour card for 2025 by finishing T-5 at the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament.[5]
Personal life
editHer twin sister, Chisato, is also a professional golfer on the LPGA of Japan Tour.[6]
Professional wins (8)
editLPGA of Japan Tour wins (6)
edit| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 Apr 2023 | KKT Cup Vantelin Ladies Open | 67-70-72=209 | −7 | 1 stroke | Lala Anai Mao Nozawa Jiyai Shin
|
| 2 | 17 Sep 2023 | Sumitomo Life Vitality Ladies Tokai Classic | 63-68-70=201 | −15 | 1 stroke | Sakura Koiwai
|
| 3 | 24 Sep 2023 | Miyagi TV Cup Dunlop Women's Open Golf Tournament | 65-69-69=203 | −13 | 2 strokes | Mao Saigo
|
| 4 | 26 May 2024 | Resort Trust Ladies | 68 68-69-68=273 | −15 | 3 strokes | Rio Takeda
|
| 5 | 16 Jun 2024 | Nichirei Ladies | 71-68-64=203 | −13 | 1 stroke | Sakura Koiwai Shuri Sakuma
|
| 6 | 15 Sep 2024 | Sumitomo Life Vitality Ladies Tokai Classic | 70-66-64=200 | −16 | 1 stroke | Miyū Yamashita
|
Step-Up Tour wins (1)
edit| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory |
Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 19 Sep 2021 | Sanyo Shimbun Ladies Cup | 70-66=136^ | −8 | 1 stroke | Hanane Nagashima (a)
|
^Shortened to 36 holes due to weather
Other wins (1)
edit| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory |
Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 Dec 2021 | JLPGA Rookies Championship Kaga Electronics Cup | 69-71=140 | −4 | Playoff | Kotoko Uchida
|
Results in LPGA majors
edit| Tournament | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Chevron Championship | T30 | |
| U.S. Women's Open | CUT | 74 |
| Women's PGA Championship | T32 | |
| The Evian Championship | T10 | |
| Women's British Open | T11 | T7 |
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Team appearances
editAmateur
- Junior Golf World Cup (representing Japan): 2019 (winners)
Professional
- Hitachi 3Tours Championship (representing JLPGA): 2023 (winners)
Source:[7]
References
edit- ^ a b c "Akie Iwai". LPGA of Japan. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
- ^ "Akie Iwai leads Japan Classic after opening with 9-under 63". ESPN. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
- ^ "Golf: Lydia Ko wins Women's British Open, 2 Japanese share 7th". Kyodo News. 26 August 2024. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
- ^ "Akie Iwai". Women's World Golf Rankings. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
- ^ "Players Finishing in Positions 1-25 and Ties Earn LPGA Tour Status in Category 15". LPGA. 10 December 2024.
- ^ "Golf is starting to see double. Identical twins from Japan, Denmark and Germany are competing". KSTP-TV. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
- ^ "Akie Iwai". World Amateur Golf Ranking. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
External links
edit- Akie Iwai at the LPGA of Japan Tour official site
- Akie Iwai at the Women's World Golf Rankings official site
- Akie Iwai on Instagram