Ryuji Imada born in Mihara, Hiroshima, Japan on October 19, 1976 is a Japanese golfer based in the United States. He was only 14 years old when he attended the Tampa golf academy for Asian players. Coached and trained under Richard Abele he successively won amateur top tournaments until he reached the final round at the U.S. Amateur Public Links in 1997. He eventually earned a scholarship at the University of Georgia because of his success in the American Junior Golf Association. For two more years he joined the Bulldogs which he helped win the NCAA championship title in 1999.
Imada became a professional player also in 1999. He continued to play in the Nationwide Tour. He won the Buy.com Virginia Beach Open in 2000 and the BMW Charity Pro-Am at The Cliffs in 2004. After a week at the BMW, his back-nine shot scored him 29 points in the U.S. Open which immediately qualified him to the South Valley, in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania. There, he won a medal with a 64 point score and advanced him to the third place in the money list. He qualified himself to the PGA Tour after that.
He placed fifth in the first season at the elite level and retained in the 2006 tour card. At the U.S. Open that year he closed rounds with 69-71 and finished a tie for 12th. In 2007, Imada experienced his best finish in the PGA Tour. He finished number 2 in the AT&T Classic.
He was again in the 2nd place at the 2008 Buick Invitational. It advanced his position to the top 100 in the Official World Golf Rankings. In May, he finally achieved his first title at the AT&T Classic of the PGA Tour tournament when he defeated Kenny Perry in a play-off. His victory pushed him up to the top 50 of the world rankings.
Imada holds a record of three professional wins- 1 from the PGA Tour, and 2 from the Nationwide Tours.
