About Katsumasa Miyamoto

Miyamoto has been key player on the Japan Tour for several years. He won two events in the same year twice--in 2001, he was victorious at the Golf Nippon Series JT Cup and the Japan Tour Golf Championship iiyama Cup and in 1998, he won the Golf Nippon Series JT Cup and the Tsuruya Open.

Miyamota has played sparingly on other tours, but played a nearly full season on the PGA Tour in 1999, when he finished 13th or better in three events. His best finish on the PGA was a T-11 at the Buick Open that year. Since then, Miyamoto has played mainly on the Japan Tour, but has played the PGA's Sony Open multiple times. In 1998, Miyamoto won the second-tier Hawaii Pearl Open with a tournament record 197 total. Before joining the Japan Tour full-time, Miyamoto played on the Challenge Tour. In 1996, he narrowly missed winning at the Korajuen Cup, when he lost in a playoff.

Miyamota is sponsored by Bridgestone in 2009 and plays the company's Tour Stage X driver (9.5 degrees), irons (3-PW), and wedges (52 and 58 degrees). He plays the Tour Stage X-01R4 Super Pearl ball. Miyamoto also uses Bridgestone's Tour Stage bag, head covers, visor, glove and shoes (SHX800).

According to Japan Tour statistics, Miyamoto averages 72.36 strokes per round, 280 yards off the tee and 28.64 putts per round. He is weak when it comes to accuracy, hitting an average of 49 percent of fairways and 58 percent of greens in regulation. Miyamoto's best finish on the Japan Tour's Money List was seventh in 2007. He ranked 16th in 2006 and 2008.

Born on August 28, 1972 in Shizuoka, Japan, Miyamoto made his PGA Tour debut in 1995. A graduate of Japan's Nihon University, Miyamoto is 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighs 167 pounds. He is married and lives in Chiba Prefecture in 2009.