Keita Nakajima has become the 5th amateur to win at the professional tournament last week. Even with this splendid history making accomplishment, he was still humble and not bragging about it at all.

He is eager to repeat that great task this week, and his practice day was getting lots of flashlights as he played along with Ryo Ishikawa.

Ryo said, "I was planning to have a round with Takumi Kanaya, and he asked me if Keita could also join in. This promise was made just before Keita has won."
Ryo Ishikawa and Takumi Kanaya also won as an amateur on the professional tournament. And the newest winner seems to be very calm about it too.
Keita says, "It still hasn't hit me as reality yet, so I was able to play the practice round with no influence.

Takumi Kanaya, who used to play on the National team with Keita says, "Keita's mind set toward golf is wonderful. He is an amateur, but he is so hungry to get better. I look up to him too. His win on the professional tournament is just one of the passing points. "

Last week, Takumi was out of the field due to his illness. He watched Keita's battle on TV and "I was so nervous of the outcome. I called Keita as soon as he left the course, I told him that I am not surprised at all to see him win."

Keita and Ryo's younger brother goes to same Nippon Taiku University, and both are raised in Saitama Prefecture, so they have been friends since elementary school. So, big brother Ryo said, "I knew that Keita is top class player even among the professionals."

Also many professionals admire Keita's courage of using 1W for all 4 days on his tee shots against the very narrow fairways at Joyo CC. Rikuya Hoshino said, "I would never do it. He has such a strong mental and winning with that is more than great." Ryo also praises Keita for fighting every hole except for Par3s with 1W is "more than great. He drives so far and still avoids OB zones. That is amazing. It is magnificent that he could make those scores even from the roughs."

What would Keita show this week.
"I take the result to be secondary. I want to be able to play and challenge my game. Of course, I know that no amateur has won 2 weeks in a row, so that challenge is something I want to achieve, so if there is any chance for me, I want to accomplish it."

Keita will be in the same spotlight group with Ryo Ishikawa and Rikuya Hoshino for the first 2 days.

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