Japanese golf prodigy Ishikawa turns pro at 16, aims for Masters

TOKYO -- Ryo Ishikawa's goals are simple: get good grades in school, improve his distance off the tee and someday win the U.S. Masters.

Playing with Tiger Woods wouldn't be bad either.

Ishikawa, who is only 16, announced Thursday he is turning professional, listing a round with the world's No. 1 player and a victory at Augusta as merely a few of his goals in life.

"From today, I'm a professional golfer," Ishikawa said at a press conference. "I want to play with Tiger Woods in the future and win the Masters."

Ishikawa stunned the golf world by becoming the youngest winner on the Japanese men's tour when he won the Munsingwear Open KSB Cup last May at age 15 as an amateur.

With the announcement, Ishikawa becomes the youngest pro in Japanese golf history.

According to the Professional Golfers' Association of Japan, the previous record for the youngest to turn pro in Japan was set by Kiyoshi Yamaura, who became a professional in 1978 at 16 years, 11 months -- eight months older than Ishikawa.

Since winning the Munsingwear Open, Ishikawa has revitalized the Japanese men's tour, which has struggled against the recent popularity of the women's circuit, which features young stars like Ai Miyazato, Sakura Yokomine and Momoko Ueda.

Ishikawa said the decision to turn pro wasn't easy but felt up to the challenge of balancing school with the pro tour.

"I know it won't be easy and I know there will be days when I don't want to do my homework," Ishikawa said. "But I'm determined to keep up with my studies and do my best in golf."

Ishikawa's soft-spoken manner and good looks have earned him the nickname "Shy Prince" in Japan, where huge crowds follow him around at every tournament he plays.

At the Dunlop Phoenix tournament in November, defending champion and British Open winner Padraig Harrington played in relative obscurity while Ishikawa had a gallery that could rival only those enjoyed by Woods.

After the Munsingwear tourney, Ishikawa has played in seven domestic events with his best finish a tie for 15th place at the Fuji Sankei Classic.

Ishikawa is aware that many Japanese golfers have excelled on the domestic tour only to flop on the PGA and European tours.

Hall of Fame golfer Isao Aoki has advised the young prodigy to play as many tournaments as possible overseas and to not get discouraged from his losses.

"That's good advice," Ishikawa said. "Aoki-san told me you learn more from your losses than your wins, and I'll keep that in mind."