Kota Kaneko
| Kota Kaneko | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||||
| Born | 4 September 2002 Aichi Prefecture, Japan | ||||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||||
| Weight | 77 kg (170 lb; 12.1 st) | ||||
| Sporting nationality |  Japan | ||||
| Career | |||||
| Turned professional | 2020 | ||||
| Current tours | European Tour Japan Golf Tour | ||||
| Former tour | Japan Challenge Tour | ||||
| Professional wins | 3 | ||||
| Number of wins by tour | |||||
| European Tour | 1 | ||||
| Japan Golf Tour | 2 | ||||
| Best results in major championships | |||||
| Masters Tournament | DNP | ||||
| PGA Championship | CUT: 2026 | ||||
| U.S. Open | DNP | ||||
| The Open Championship | CUT: 2026 | ||||
| Achievements and awards | |||||
| |||||
Kota Kaneko (金子駆大, Kaneko Kota; born 4 September 2002) is a Japanese professional golfer who plays on the European Tour, where he claimed his first win in 2026 at the Austrian Alpine Open. He also plays on the Japan Golf Tour where he has won twice and topped the 2025 money list.[1]
Professional career
Kaneko turned professional in October 2020. He joined the Japan Challenge Tour in 2021, and was runner-up at the 2022 Daisendori Cup in Tottori.[2]
In 2023, Kaneko joined the Japan Golf Tour, with a best finish of tied 3rd at the Japan Open Golf Championship. The following year he was runner-up at the ANA Open and Japan Players Championship. In 2025, he won twice and topped the money list, to earn status on the European Tour.[3]
On the 2026 European Tour, Kaneko was runner-up at the Belgian Open and won the Austrian Alpine Open in Kitzbühel by two shots.[4]
Professional wins (3)
European Tour wins (1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 31 May 2026 | Austrian Alpine Open | −18 (65-65-65-67=262) | 2 strokes |  Davis Bryant, .svg.png){kind=small} Ricardo Gouveia |
Japan Golf Tour wins (2)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 18 May 2025 | Kansai Open Golf Championship | −15 (63-69-66-67=265) | 1 stroke | Yosuke Asaji,  Ryu Hyun-woo |
| 2 | 16 Nov 2025 | Mitsui Sumitomo Visa Taiheiyo Masters | −17 (67-65-63-68=263) | 6 strokes | Shota Akiyoshi |
Results in major championships
| Tournament | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | |
| PGA Championship | CUT |
| U.S. Open | |
| The Open Championship | CUT |
CUT = missed the halfway cut
References
- ↑ "Kota Kaneko". European Tour. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
- ↑ "Kota Kaneko". Japan Golf Tour Organization. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
- ↑ Hall, Mike (30 May 2026). "Kota Kaneko Facts: 10 Things To Know About The DP World Tour Pro". Golf Monthly. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
- ↑ "DP World Tour: Kota Kaneko wins Austrian Alpine Open for first European title". Sky Sports. 31 May 2026. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
External links
- Kota Kaneko at the European Tour official site
- Kota Kaneko at the Japan Golf Tour official site
- Kota Kaneko at the Official World Golf Ranking official site