Japanese golfing sensation Ryo Ishikawa has forfeited an automatic invitation into next year’s Masters by finishing outside the top-37 in the Thailand Golf Championship.
The 20-year old arrived in Bangkok lying in 50th position on the World Rankings but needing to finish among the leading 37 on the Amata Spring Country Club course.
However after disappointing rounds of 70, 77, 77 and a final day 73 Ishikawa was lying in share of 60th and now certain to drop outside the top-50.
Ryo Ishikawa forfeits 2012 Masters invitation.
Should Ishikawa not qualify for the season’s first Major, and he does have up until the end of March to get back inside the top-50 in the world, then it will be big blow to Japan TV.
Ishikawa could manage just 10 birdies over the four days including just one one each on Saturday and Sunday.
Also included in his four days in the Thai capital was a dozen bogeys, two double bogeys and a triple bogey.
Maybe the ‘Bashful Prince’ needs to heed Lee Westwood’s advice and not be so ‘intense’ when it comes to golf.
Westwood commented earlier in the week, and reported by www.golfbytourmiss.com, that the young Japanese star spends far too much of his life concerned with golf.
In fact, Ishikawa has contested an amazing 33 events this season.
But while Ishikawa needs to cut back on his schedule consider he also seriously needs to consider competing more around the world.
It’s fine having won 10 times on the Japan PGA Tour, and also including becoming the youngest-ever winner in 1997 when aged just 15 years, but if Ishikawa is to become a more respected player and to contend in the Majors he can’t do that by isolating himself in Japan as he does for much of the year.
And it seems Ishikawa may well do that by indicating Japanese reporters present in Thailand he has been afforded an invitation to contest next month’s Sony Open and the second event on the 2012 PGA Tour schedule.
Ishikawa indicated also to his countrymen that if he does qualify for Augusta he will approach organisers of the Shell Houston Open to seek at invitation to compete on the Redstone course in suburban Humble.
