Japan’s Ryo Ishikawa is known as the ‘Bashful Prince’ but in recent years he’s become the ‘Forgotten Prince’.

However the 22-year is finally starting to make some waves on the PGA Tour as evident in today’s opening round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

And despite Aussie Adam Scott shooting a career low 62, Ishikawa’s seven under par 65 has the 22-year old well placed to possibly end the week earning a congratulatory handshake from ‘The King’ – Arnold Palmer.

Ishikawa had eight birdies in his round including five over his inward nine and with his only bogey coming at the 14th and sandwiched in between birdies at 12, 13 and then birdies at 15, 16 and the last.

Japan’s Ryo Ishikawa in a good position to break his victory drought on the PGA Tour. (Photo – Fran Caffrey/www.golffile.ie)

“It was a pretty comfortable round for me,” he said.

Ten years ago Ishikawa was just 12 years old and he traveled to Orlando to compete in a junior event at Bay Hill and the winner of 10 events on the Japan Tour recalled his first visit to ‘Arnie’s course’

“I was here when I was 12 years old and I remember playing 18, and it was all the way from the back tee”, he said.

“I hit driver and it came down the fairway and my second shot was 230-yards to the green and I hit driver again.  But today I hit 4-wood as I am getting older and stronger.

“But I just love playing at Bay Hill.  I have practiced much here since last August and I just like the golf course so much.  I love the people who work here and everything is always in perfect shape, the golf course and everything.”

In recent years Ishikawa has battled with lower back pain and in his younger years loved playing soccer and tennis along with track and field.

“I used to be in a track and field club, at a junior high school but then that’s the reason for the problems with my muscles in my back, as it was not good for me.

“So now i play just golf.  I don’t play any other sport because of my back. I want to play other sports but I can’t.”

Ishikawa is this year now slowly showing the form that made him such a prolific winner in Japan with a number of solid results on the PGA Tour and capped by 7th in the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines.

Japan’s Ryo Ishikawa during the first round at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. (Picture: Fran Caffrey www.golffile.ie)