Kanaya awarded the Mark H McCormack Medal
9/9/2020 | by AmateurGolf.com Staff
see also: Mark H. McCormack Award, Royal and Ancient Golf Club
Takumi Kanaya is the first player from Japan ever to win the award
Takumi Kanaya has been awarded the Mark H McCormack Medal for 2020 as the world’s top player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR). The 22-year-old senior at TohokuFukushi University makes history as the first player from Japan ever to win the award.
Not even the great Hideki Matsuyama was able to win the McCormack Award, although he was the last Japanese player before Kanaya to be ranked number one in the world.
Like many of the world's top players, the 2018 Asia Pacific Amateur Championship winner has not competed much in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but he did cement his position as the final number one with a 5th-place finish in a professional event, the Fujisankei Classic on the Japan Golf Tour. It was an impressive finish considering it was his first competitive rounds of 2020.
Kanaya is comfortable playing with the professionals, winning the 2019 Mitsui Sumitomo VISA Taiheiyo Masters, and finishing 3rd in the 2019 Australian Open.
As the McCormack Medal recipient, Kanaya earns exemptions into the 2021 U.S. Open and British Open championships.
Among notable past winners of the Mark H. McCormack Medal are Danny Lee of New Zealand (2008), Patrick Cantlay of the U.S. (2011), Matthew Fitzpatrick of England (2013) and Jon Rahm of Spain (2015). Last year's McCormack winner was Cole Hammer of the U.S.
Related: Cole Hammer wins Mark H. McCormack medal as top-ranked am
The award is named after World Golf Hall of Famer Mark McCormack, thefounder of IMG and an avid supporter of golf.
About the Mark H. McCormack Award
Established in 2007, the Mark H McCormack Medal is named after the late founder of sports marketing company IMG and is awarded to the player ranked number one in the WORLD AMATEUR GOLF RANKING® following The Amateur, the U.S. Amateur or the European ...
Most Popular Articles
2025 PGA TOUR Q-School Guide: Sites, Scores, and Who Advanced
Dec 5, 2025Second Stage is complete and Final Stage awaits at Sawgrass — follow every Q-School leaderboard and the players still chasing
2025 LPGA TOUR Q-Series: Final Qualifying Stage LIVE SCORING
Dec 4, 2025Full 2025 LPGA Q-School (Q-Series) schedule, results, and leaderboard updates
Australian Open at Royal Melbourne: Preview, amateur bios, and how to watch
Nov 30, 2025Rory McIlroy headlines one of the championship's top fields in years - at least four amateurs will have their chance at glory
Playing with the Stewart Golf Q Follow: Full Hands-Free Cart Review
Nov 18, 2025Can a hands-free electric cart actually improve your round? I put the Stewart Q Follow to the test over 9 holes to find out.
Luke Ringkamp Cruises to Rolex Tournament of Champions Title at TPC San Antonio
Nov 26, 2025One week after committing to Pepperdine, Luke Ringkamp won the Rolex Tournament of Champions by nine shots.