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How They're Doing: Minnesotans on Pro Tour Money Lists -- April 22
April 22, 2024
ST. LOUIS PARK, Minn. – Like many amateurs, Ken Tanigawa had aspirations of playing professional golf after graduating from the University of California-Los Angeles in 1990. After 11 seasons playing in Australia, Asia and a number of appearances on the Web.com Tour, Tanigawa retreated to his home state of Arizona and regained his amateur playing status.
Different from most reinstated amateurs, though, Tanigawa, decided to try his hand again at professional golf 15 years later, and in December finished inside the top-5 at PGA Tour Champions Qualifying School to earn full status for the 2018 season.
On Tuesday, Tanigawa fired a 4-under par 68 at Minneapolis golf club to earn medalist honors as well as a spot in the 39th U.S. Senior Open at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colo., June 27-July 1.
Rolling in four birdies over his opening nine Tuesday, Tanigawa paced the field early but dropped two strokes with a pair of bogeys to begin his final nine holes. Bouncing back with a pair of birdies at the 15th and 17th holes, Tanigawa qualified for his first U.S. Senior Open with a round of 68.
Turning professional in 1992, Tanigawa played professionally in Australia and Japan before making 22 appearances on the Web.com Tour in 2003, with his best performance coming at the VB Open where he finished tied for 37th.
Amassing just short of $7,500 during the 2003 season, Tanigawa returned to amateur golf after missing the cut in nine of his last 10 Web.com events. But after winning several state championships, including two of the past three Arizona Amateur Championships, the competitive fire remained in Tanigawa and he decided to attempt qualifying for the PGA Tour Champions at TPC Scottsdale in December at the age of 50.
Firing rounds of 64 and 63, respectively, while bookending the tournament with rounds of 70, Tanigawa did enough to earn his Tour card for the 2018 season and hasn’t looked back.
In his first start at the Boca Raton Championship, Tanigawa notched his first-career top-10 finish to collect over $33,000. In seven events this season, Tanigawa has collected more than $105,000 and most recently finished tied for 23rd at the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship in Benton Harbor, Mich., on Sunday.
Joining Tanigawa at the national championship beginning next month is Argentinean Rodolfo Gonzalez, who survived a two-hole playoff against Chris Hunsucker after both finished 18 holes of play at 2-under par 70.
Gonzalez got off to a slow start Tuesday by making bogey on the opening hole, but drew even with a birdie at the par-3 sixth and would turn at even par. Falling back to 1-over for the round with a bogey at the 11th, Gonzalez strung together three birdies over the next four holes to finish the day in a tie for second at 70.
With a par on the second playoff hole, Gonzalez sealed the second and final qualifying position.
Hunsucker, from San Antonio, Texas, finished as first alternate, while Don Berry, of Brooklyn Park, Minn., finished as second alternate.
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