1. Early Life and Amateur Career
Kaname Yokoo's early life saw him develop into a promising golfer, achieving significant success before turning professional.
1.1. Background and Education
Kaname Yokoo was born on July 24, 1972, in Tokyo, Japan. He stands 5.8 ft (1.76 m) (approximately 5 feet 9 inches) tall and weighs 165 lb (75 kg) (around 165 pounds), with an A blood type. He began playing golf at the age of 10. Yokoo attended Tokyo Gakkan Urayasu High School before enrolling at Nihon University, where he further honed his golf skills.
1.2. Amateur Achievements
During his amateur career, Yokoo distinguished himself with several impressive victories. In 1993, he won the Japan Student Golf Championship. A highlight of his amateur career came in 1994 at the 1994 Asian Games held in Hiroshima, Japan, where he won two gold medals: one in the men's individual golf competition and another as part of the men's team. These achievements solidified his reputation as a rising talent in Japanese golf.
2. Professional Career
Kaname Yokoo embarked on his professional golf career in 1995, building a successful presence primarily on the Japan Golf Tour, while also experiencing a period on the PGA Tour.
2.1. Early Career and Japan Golf Tour Success
Yokoo turned professional in 1995, passing the professional golfer test alongside his Nihon University golf team 同期dōkiJapanese members, Shingo Katayama and Katsumasa Miyamoto. He made an immediate impact, debuting with a fifth-place finish at the Bridgestone Open Golf Tournament. His first victory on the Japan Golf Tour came in 1998 at the Acom International. The following year, in 1999, he secured his second tour win at the Tokai Classic, overcoming Vijay Singh by a single stroke. That same year, he competed in the U.S. Open, starting impressively with a fifth-place position on the first day, ultimately finishing tied for 57th. This experience fueled his ambition for international competition. In 2000, Yokoo won the Japan PGA Match-Play Championship by defeating Toru Taniguchi in the final, which granted him a five-year exemption on the Japan Golf Tour. His victory in this tournament led to his highest world ranking of 95th. Toward the end of 2000, he successfully passed the PGA Tour Qualifying School, earning full exemption to play on the PGA Tour.
2.2. Foray into the PGA Tour
From 2001 to 2003, Kaname Yokoo competed full-time on the PGA Tour in the United States. His most significant performance during this period was at the 2002 Phoenix Open, where he finished as runner-up on January 27, 2002. He was just one stroke behind the winner, Chris DiMarco of the United States, who finished at 17-under-par (267 strokes), while Yokoo posted a score of 16-under-par (268 strokes). Despite this strong showing and recording four other top-10 finishes on the tour, Yokoo struggled with consistency, often missing cuts. His prize money ranking for 2002 placed him 130th, which was insufficient to maintain his tour card (which required being within the top 125). In 2003, he failed to advance past the second stage of the PGA Tour Qualifying School. As a result, he returned to Japan in 2004 to resume his career primarily on the Japan Golf Tour.
2.3. Return to Japan and Subsequent Career
Upon his return to the Japan Golf Tour, Yokoo continued to achieve success. In 2002, even while still attempting to gain PGA Tour status, he won the Dunlop Phoenix Tournament in Japan, which marked his fourth Japan Golf Tour victory. This tournament was particularly notable for the debut appearance of Tiger Woods. In 2005, Yokoo again competed at the Dunlop Phoenix Tournament and entered a playoff against the defending champion, Tiger Woods, ultimately losing to a birdie on the fourth extra hole. His fifth career Japan Golf Tour win came on May 28, 2006, at the Mitsubishi Diamond Cup Golf, breaking a four-year winning drought. Beyond the main tour, Yokoo also secured victories in other tournaments, including the 2009 Hirao Masaaki Charity Golf and the 2017 The Legend Charity Pro-Am Tournament, where he defeated Shugo Imahira in a playoff.
2.4. Major Championship and Tour Results
Kaname Yokoo has participated in several major golf championships and World Golf Championships during his career.
His U.S. Open appearances are summarized below:
| Tournament | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Open | T57 | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT |
Note: Yokoo only played in the U.S. Open among the four major championships. "CUT" indicates he missed the halfway cut. "T" signifies a tie for that position. A blank cell indicates he did not play in that tournament year.
His single appearance in The Players Championship is as follows:
| Tournament | 2002 |
|---|---|
| The Players Championship | CUT |
"CUT" indicates he missed the halfway cut.
His appearance in World Golf Championships is listed below:
| Tournament | 2003 |
|---|---|
| Match Play | |
| Championship | |
| Invitational | T58 |
A blank cell indicates he did not play in that tournament year. "T" signifies a tie for that position.
The table below provides a detailed record of his five Japan Golf Tour wins:
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | November 8, 1998 | Acom International | 46 pts (10-14-5-17=46) | 3 points | Katsumasa Miyamoto |
| 2 | October 10, 1999 | Tokai Classic | -14 (66-67-72-69=274) | 1 stroke | Vijay Singh |
| 3 | September 3, 2000 | Japan PGA Match-Play Championship Promise Cup | 2 and 1 | Toru Taniguchi | |
| 4 | November 24, 2002 | Dunlop Phoenix Tournament | -15 (66-65-69-69=269) | 1 stroke | Sergio García |
| 5 | May 28, 2006 | Mitsubishi Diamond Cup Golf | -9 (71-70-68-66=275) | 2 strokes | Nozomi Kawahara, Toru Suzuki |
Yokoo's Japan Golf Tour playoff record is 0 wins and 1 loss. This loss occurred at the 2005 Dunlop Phoenix Tournament, where he was defeated by Tiger Woods with a birdie on the fourth extra hole of the playoff.
His two other professional wins include:
- 2009 Hirao Masaaki Charity Golf
- 2017 Legend Charity Pro-Am
3. Personal Life
Kaname Yokoo's personal life received public attention when he married talent Reiko Kato on December 15, 2001. The couple first met at a party organized by Am/Pm Japan, where Kato was introduced to Yokoo by Yoshiharu Noda, leading to the beginning of their relationship. Due to Yokoo's professional commitments, their wedding reception was held later, on November 9, 2002, at a hotel in Tokyo. At the time of the reception, Reiko Kato was six months pregnant. Their daughter, Sachi, was born on February 20, 2003.
4. Controversies
During his career, Kaname Yokoo was involved in a notable incident concerning slow play at the 2013 Fujisankei Classic. On the final day of the tournament, Yokoo started in the final group, tied for second place, but ultimately finished tied for sixth. As the final group, which included Yokoo, Hideki Matsuyama, and S.J. Park, approached the ninth tee, they were notified by a tournament official that they were 11 minutes over their allotted play time, receiving a warning for slow play. After completing his round, Yokoo publicly commented to reporters that the warning had "irritated" him and he "almost lost it." His remarks questioned the actions of the tournament committee and implied dissatisfaction with the pace of play of his fellow competitors in the group, leading to discussion in the media.
5. Legacy and Public Perception
Kaname Yokoo has maintained a long and significant presence in Japanese professional golf. His five victories on the Japan Golf Tour, along with his venture onto the PGA Tour and notable performances against international golf stars like Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh, underscore his competitive spirit and skill. While his PGA Tour stint was brief, his runner-up finish at the 2002 Phoenix Open remains a career highlight that brought him international recognition. Yokoo's continued participation and occasional victories in charity and pro-am events in his later career demonstrate his enduring commitment to the sport. He is regarded as a respected figure in Japanese golf, known for his consistent performance and contributions to the tour over many years.