Career highlights

• Since turning professional in 2005, has competed throughout Asia, including stints on the Korean Golf Tour and the Asian Tour. Played full time in Japan from 2009-12. 2013-14: Played in six PGA TOUR events, with a T34 at the World Golf Championship his top outing
• Earned his sixth professional title and second on the Japan Golf Tour. Opened with a 64 at The Crowns in early May and then coasted to a four-shot triumph over South Korea's I.J. Jang
• The previous week, was T5 at the Tsuruya Open. Stumbled out of the gate with a 74 then played his final three rounds in 68-65-67
• Represented Asia in the inaugural Eurasia Cup in March in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. In the event's 10-10 draw, went 2-1-0 in his three matches
• Made his domestic PGA TOUR debut, playing in the Sony Open in Hawaii, finishing T65 at Waialae CC
• Two months later, played in the World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship. After opening with a 72 at the TPC Blue Monster, had three consecutive 74s to T34
• Played in three of the four major championships, missing the cut in the U.S. Open, The Open Championship and the PGA Championship
• On the Korean Tour, finished T9 at the Munsingwear Match Play Championship
• Finished T4 at the Fijisankei Classic in early September.2013: Earned his first Japan Golf Tour title, and his fifth victory overall, when he won the PGA Championship Nissin Cupnoodles Cup, defeating the duo of Hiroyuki Fujita and Yoshinori Fujimoto by a stroke. Was nine strokes back of leader Hideki Matsuyama when the final round began after shooting a 4-over 75 in the third round. Put together a six-birdie, front-nine 29 and an even-par 36 on the back nine for a 65
• In his next start, made a run at victory again, finishing T2 at the Diamond Cup Golf. Shot a final-round 71 to finish two shots short of winner Hideki Matsuyama. It was the first of four runner-up showings
• In South Korea in April, finished T6 at the Ballentine's Championship
• Added a pair of top-10s in the fall—an eighth-place effort at the Fujisankei Classic, a T4 at the ANA Open and a T10 at the Coca-Cola Tokai Classic, all on the Jpana Golf Tour
• Got hot again late in the year
• Made a run at victory at the Japan Open, finishing T3 after a closing-round 69
• Had another finishing 69, this time at the Mynavi ABC Championship to place fifth
• Second runner-up performance of the campaign came at the Heiwa PGM Championship in early November. Was four shots off Ashun Wu's leading pace through 54 holes. Shot a closing 72 to Wu's 75 but still fell a stroke short
• After a T6 at the Mitsui Sumitomo Visa Taiheiyo a week later, responded again with a strong finish, this time at the Dunlop Phoenix. Shot rounds of 69-70-67-70 to finish second, a distant six shots shy of winner Luke Donald
• Final top-10 was a T7 at the Casio World Open in his second-to-last start of the season
• On the OneAsia Tour, a week before his PGA Championship Nissin Cupnoodles Cup win, was T2 at the GS Caltex Maekyung Open. Began with back-to-back 67s and then closed 71-70 to fall a shot short of winner Hyun Woo Ryu
• Other top-10s came on the Korean Tour. Was T6 at the Happiness Kwangju Bank Open and ninth at The 56th Korean PGA Championship
• Made his major championship debut, missing the cut at The Open Championship. That appearance was also his first PGA TOUR start. 2012: Played full time on the Japan Golf Tour, where he finished eighth on the money list
• Highlight of his season came in August when he was a one-stroke winner at the Vana H Cup KBC Augusta in Fukuoka, an event whose past winners include World Golf Hall of Famers Raymond Floyd, Isao Aoki and Jumbo Ozaki
• Was also solo second at the Kansai Open Golf Championship and T2 at the ANA Open
• Had six top-10 finishes
• Finished second in greens in regulation hit and third in scoring average in Japan
• Made five starts on the Asian Tour, where he was T57 in the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions in his first World Golf Championships appearance
• Was also T7 at the Handa Faldo Cambodian Classic
• Finished T87 at the PGA TOUR's Qualifying Tournament.2011: Recorded three top-10s during his Japan Golf Tour season. First came at the Bridgestone Open, a T8, with four under-par rounds
• Added a T9 at the Coca-Cola Tokai Classic and then added a T10 at the Gate Way To The Open Mizuno Open in June.2010: Made 18 Japan Golf Tour starts, getting to the weekend nine times. Best performance among his made cuts was his fourth-place showing at Diamond Cup Golf, a 12-under outing that left him four shots behind winner Kyung-Tae Kim (no relation)
• Earlier in the campaign was T9 at The Championship by Lexus at Otone CC in Ibaraki.2009: Was in contention in a pair of Japan Golf Tour events. Was tied for second through 54 holes at the Gate Way To The Open Mizuno Open Yomiuri Classic in June. Trailed leader Ryo Ishikawa by three shots. Fired a final-round, 2-over 74 to T3 with Kenichi Kuboya and Tomohiro Kondo, four behind Ishikawa
• Was solo second going into the final round of the Asia-Pacific Panasonic Open. Struggled on the final day, firing a 4-over 75 at Jyoto CC to finish fifth, six strokes behind winner Daisuke Maruyama.2008: Won his second professional title, the SBS Open in South Korea
• Later in the year, picked up second victory of the campaign, at the Ace Open, also in South Korea
• Made his first Japan Golf Tour start, entering the Dunlop Phoenix and finishing T15 after weekend rounds of 68-71.2007: Lone top-10 on the Asian Tour came at the Kolon-Hana Bank Korea Open. Began the event with a 67 and went on to T4, three shots behind winner Vijay Singh. 2006: Earned his first professional title when he captured the Korean PGA Championship.