Shingo Katayama is a Japanese professional golfer. He was born on January 31, 1973 at Chikusei, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. He was called “Cowboy Shingo” for his frequent donning of a cowboy-styled hat.
Katayama turned pro in 1995 and played on the Japan Golf Tour full time. He has managed to top the Japan Golf Tour money list for four times: 2000, 2004, 2005 and 2006. He won his first title in the Japan Golf Tour in 1998 with the Sanko Grand Summer Championship. A year later, he won the JCB Classic Sendai, and then grabbed a couple of wins in 2000 (Fancl Open in Okinawa, Golf Nippon Series JT Cup, Dunlop Phoenix Tournament, and Asia Pacific Open Golf Championship).In 2001, Katayama garnered another title with the Kirin Open Golf event. He then went on to win the Token Cup held in the same year.
Katayama’s most recent wins include the Bridgestone Open, the UBS Japan Golf Tour Championship, and the Japan PGA Championship.
He has played in several Major Championships events, as well as World Golf Championship events. So far, his most notable performance outside of his usual Japan Golf Tour is his fourth place turnout at the 2001 PGA Championship.
Over the course of his professional career, Katayama has won 24 wins, all of which from the Japan Golf Tour. As for Major Championships, he has yet to win at least a single event. He is also multi-awarded, as he was awarded the Japan Golf Tour Money Winner for 2000, 2004, 2005, and 2006. He has reached the Top thirty of the Official World Golf Rankings, and currently stands as the highest ranked golfer from Japan.
