Who is Ayaka Furue?
She’s a rising star with wins on the LPGA Tour and Ladies European Tour, but who is Ayaka Furue?
Ayaka Furue is one of the leading Japanese players in the women’s game, with wins on both the LPGA Tour and Ladies European Tour.
Born in May 2000 in Kobe in Japan, Furue began playing at a young age, along with swimming, and she was coached by her father. After a successful amateur career, Furue turned professional in 2019 and immediately tasted victory on the LPGA Tour of Japan. She would go on to win eight times on the tour in three years, including a hat-trick of wins in both 2020 and 2021.
The Japanese star then secured her maiden LPGA Tour victory in 2022. She was the victor at the Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open – an event co-sanctioned with the Ladies European Tour. Furue won by three shots at Dundonald Links to claim the victory. She became the second Japanese player to win a major title in 2024, following in the footsteps of Yuka Saso. Furue was victorious at the Amundi Evian Championship to claim her maiden major title, making eagle at the 72nd hole to win by one shot.
Ayaka Furue | Player Profile
Personal Information
Name: Ayaka Furue
Born: May 27, 2000
Nationality: Japan
Residence: Kobe, Kansai, Japan
Career
Turned Pro: 2019
Professional Wins: 10
Highest World Ranking: 8 – July 15, 2024
Best Results In Majors
Best Finishes:
– Chevron Championship – T44 (2022)
– Women’s PGA Championship – T8 (2023)
– US Women’s Open – T6 (2023, 2024)
– Amundi Evian Championship – WON (2024)
– AIG Women’s Open – T20 (2021)
Professional Wins – 10
2019 (1) – Fujitsu Ladies
2020 (3) – Descente Ladies Tokai Classic, Ito En Ladies Golf Tournament, Daio Paper Elleair Ladies Open
2021 (3) – Fujitsu Ladies, Nobuta Group Masters GC Ladies, Toto Japan Classic
2022 (2) – Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open, Fujitsu Ladies
2024 (1) – Amundi Evian Championship
Achievements and Awards
LPGA Tour of Japan Player of the Year – 2020/2021
Ayaka Furue | What’s In Her Bag?
Future is a Bridgestone staffer, playing with mainly Bridgestone clubs. She plays the B3 SD driver, along with the Tour B JGR fairway woods and hybrids. Additionally, Furue plays a TaylorMade SIM 2 MAX Rescue. The Tour B X-CB irons from 6i-PW are joined by a trio of Tour B BRM wedges and the Tour B XS ball. The Japanese star also uses a TaylorMade 5-hybrid and the Spider putter.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Ayaka Furue
When and where was Ayaka Furue born?
Ayaka Furue was born in Kobe, Japan in May 2000. She began playing golf at the age of 3, and was coached by her father through her early years.
When did Ayaka Furue turn professional?
Ayaka Furue turned professional in 2019 and immediately rose to success on the LPGA Tour of Japan, winning eight times over the next three seasons.
How many LPGA Tour titles has Ayaka Furue won?
As of July 2024, Ayaka Furue is a two-time winner on the LPGA Tour. Her first came in a co-sanctioned event with the Ladies European Tour, as she won the Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open in 2022. She then secured her maiden major title at the 2024 Amundi Evian Championship, winning by one shot.
Did you Know?
A Star on Home Soil
Furue is one of several Japanese stars in the game of golf right now. She won eight times on the LPGA Tour of Japan over a three-year period, winning the LPGA Tour of Japan Player of the Year honours for the 2020-2021 season.
Accuracy Over Distance
Due to her short stature, Furue is one of the shortest hitters on the LPGA Tour. However, she is accurate off the tee which helps quell that disadvantage. Over the 2023 season, she hit almost 85% of fairways, ranking second on the list.
Five Foot Star
Furue is only five feet tall, making her the shortest active player on the LPGA Tour right now.
Other Ayaka Furue Articles
Ayaka Furue claims maiden major victory with Amundi Evian Championship win
Furue leads but weather wins on Day 2 at the Evian Championship
Just how good is Ayaka Furue? Can she go on to win major championships during her career? Let us know your thoughts with a post on X, formerly Twitter!
Matt Coles
Mention a European country, and Matt will tell you which resorts make the National Club Golfer Top 100s: European Resorts list. He might even throw in who designed the golf course and how many rooms the hotel has got at each one…
Matt got into the game of golf from a young age, following his old man to the local golf club. He fell for the sport, and now can’t seem to go a day without thinking about how to improve his game (Thanks Dad!). Matt has been a member of Howley Hall GC in Leeds since 2020, and is just about managing to maintain a single-figure handicap. He likes to remind people that he once broke 75, but won’t tell people that it was on a shortened course during the winter.
He moved to Leeds after graduating from the University of Central Lancashire with a First Class Honours degree in Sports Journalism. Matt joined NCG after almost five years travelling the world with the Professional Squash Association, working on events in all four corners of the globe.
Matt currently plays a Cobra King LTDx driver and RadSpeed 3-wood. TaylorMade monopolise the rest of his bag, with a SIM UDI, M5 irons and both Milled Grind and HI-TOE wedges, along with a Monza Redline putter. He uses a Vice Pro Plus golf ball, because he’s a bit different…
Away from golf, Matt is a Manchester United fan, and a keen runner, having ran the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon (his first and possibly last), in May 2023.
