Ishikawa Brothers Shine Bright in Token Tangle
Sibling success and youthful promise light up opening day at the JGTO’s season starter
Augusta, Georgia - Ryo Ishikawa, Wataru Ishikawa and Tomohiro Ishizaka surged into joint top spot at the Token Homemate Cup after carding sparkling rounds of 65 on a crisp Thursday at Token Tado Country Club.
While Ryo’s name is no stranger to leaderboards—with 20 JGTO titles and two already this year—the sight of his younger brother Wataru, 25, and equally youthful Tomohiro Ishizaka sharing the summit brought a delightful freshness to the season’s opening act.
Wataru, who turned pro in 2021, rebounded after an early stumble and finished strong with eight birdies. “I made several mistakes early in the round but managed to compose myself,” he said. “After the bogey on 11, I made several good putts and was pleased to convert them into birdies.”
Ryo’s round was punctuated by a flourish at the finish—three consecutive birdies from the 16th to the 18th—after an otherwise controlled effort. “It’s a good family day out for us today,” he said. “But there are still 54 more holes of golf to be played and it’s early days for everyone.”
Tomohiro Ishizaka, also 25 and seeking his first win since turning pro in 2019, stayed blemish-free, collecting birdies with quiet precision across both nines. His six-under round was built on patience and poise—perhaps signs of maturity that could well pay off come Sunday.
The trio leads a tightly bunched field, with just a single stroke separating every player in the 132-man pack. But as the sun set over Tado, the Ishikawa brothers and Ishizaka had already given the new JGTO season a charm-laced opening note.