Shugo Imahira

Won May’s Asia-Pacific Diamond Cup to earn a return to the Championship after missing last year’s event.

The leading money-winner on the Japan Tour in 2018 and 2019, becoming only the fifth player to make a successful defence after Isao Aoki, Masashi “Jumbo” Ozaki, Tommy Nakajima and Shingo Katayama.

Imahira made his major debut at Royal Troon in 2016 thanks to a joint runner-up finish in the Gateway to The Open Mizuno Open – part of The Open Qualifying Series – and opened with a three-under-par 68, but followed it with an 80 to miss the cut by two strokes.

In 2019 he successfully defended the Bridgestone Open and a month later added the Dunlop Phoenix tournament, his fourth victory on his home circuit and one which helped him enter the game’s top 30. Imahira also posted five runner-up finishes to continue a remarkable rise from outside the leading 1,500 players in 2014.

Having topped the Japan Challenge Tour that season, he had to wait until the 2017 Kansai Open for his first success on the main circuit, but it came by an impressive six-stroke margin.

He received a special invitation to the 2019 Masters and played all four majors that year.