Japanese golfer Taiga Semikawa said Monday he has turned professional after winning twice on the country's top pro tour as an amateur.
The 21-year-old Tohoku Fukushi University senior won the Panasonic Open on Sept. 25 and four weeks later became the first amateur champion of the Japan Open, a major tournament, in 95 years.
Semikawa, whose average driving distance is over 300 yards, is scheduled to make his pro debut at the Mynavi ABC Championship starting Thursday.
"I'll continue to make efforts for fans to enjoy my play," Semikawa said through organizers of the tournament at ABC Golf Club in Kato, Hyogo Prefecture.
He belongs to the same university golf team that once featured Hideki Matsuyama, the 2021 Masters champion.
