NEW YORK – Japanese teenage sensation Ryo Ishikawa does not intend to play in the Fall Series of the U.S. PGA Tour because of his commitment to the domestic tour, despite becoming eligible for special temporary membership.
Ishikawa has played in 10 PGA Tour events this year and has earned $577,136 — the bulk of that coming two weeks ago at the Bridgestone Invitational, where he tied for fourth, his career-best PGA Tour finish.
Since his earnings are greater than the player who finished 150th on the money list a year ago, Ishikawa became eligible to play in the four-leg Fall Series beginning Sept. 29, according to a tour official.
The 19-year-old can join the U.S. tour as a fully exempt member next year without going to qualifying school if he makes the same or more than the player who finished 125th on this year’s PGA Tour money list.
But Ishikawa said on Aug. 7, the final day of the Bridgestone Invitational, that he would not return to the United States for the Fall Series.
Ishikawa is looking for his second JGTO money title in three years. He is currently in third place on the 2011 money list, behind Kim Kyung Tae and Yuta Ikeda.