Shingo Katayama

Shingo Katayama is a Japanese golfer.

Career

Katayama was born in Chikusei, Ibaraki Prefecture. He turned professional in 1995 and has played full-time on the Japan Golf Tour since 1997. He topped the Japan Golf Tour money list five times: 2000, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2008. He has won 31 tournaments on the Japan Golf Tour, ranking fifth on the career wins list and ranking second on the career money list with over.
Katayama has played in several Men's major [golf championships|major championships] and World Golf Championships events, and his most notable achievement outside Japan is his tied fourth-place finish at the 2001 PGA Championship. He played the 3rd round with the champion David Toms. He was called "Cowboy Shingo" due to his distinctive cowboy-style hat. Placing fourth with a 10-under par at the 2009 Masters, he tied Toshimitsu Izawa for the best showing of a Japanese golfer at the tournament.
Katayama also featured in the top thirty of the Official [World Golf Ranking], reaching a highest ranking of 23rd in December 2007.
Katayama rarely played on the U.S. based PGA Tour, playing the majority of his golf in Japan. His best finish outside of Japan, came in 2006 at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship where he defeated Colin Montgomerie, 3 and 2, in the second round en route to finishing T9.