Tokyo, Japan: Kinpachi Yoshimura has been elected as the 12th Chairman of the Professional Golfers’ Association of Japan (PGAJ).

A Board member since 2017, the 69-year-old Yoshimura has taken over from Masahiro ‘Massy’ Kuramoto, who served as Chairman for eight years from 2014.

In his new role, Yoshimura will be supported by Nobuo Serizawa and Masatsugu Myojin, who were elected as Vice Presidents.

An Executive Member of the Asian Golf Industry Federation, the PGAJ is one of Asia’s eldest and most respected sporting organisations.

Founded in 1957, the PGAJ has more than 5,000 qualified golf professionals registered as members and is active in all areas of golf in Japan.

As well as focusing on tournaments and teaching, Yoshimura said he is looking forward to continuing to grow the PGAJ, which is actively involved in a variety of initiatives ranging from social contributions and junior development to research and working with local communities.

Yoshimura said: “The most important thing is to maintain the qualifications of as many members as possible and increase the value.

“We will work to improve the organisation and review the system, make further leaps forward, and create an environment where members can work comfortably.

“We will also contribute to the spread and development of golf together with our members so that we can build a bright future in the golf world beyond overcoming the unprecedented crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.”