Meet the Golfer With the Honor of Hitting the First Tee Shot at Tokyo Olympics 2020

The golf event at Tokyo Olympics 2020 is all set to commence on July 29th with the Kasumigaseki Country Club playing as the host of this prestigious event. A total of 60 golfers will be in the field competing for three medal spots. And since this is a non-cut event, all the 60 players will get a chance to play till the final day.?

Moreover, as expected, a Japanese golfer will start the proceedings on day 1. But even though he is a Japanese player, it is not Hideki Matsuyama, but Rikuya Hoshino. The 25-year-old golfer from Japan has the honor of hitting the first tee shot of the Tokyo Olympics 2020. And he seems excited and grateful for this opportunity.??

Who is Rikuya Hoshino; the first player teeing off at Tokyo Olympics 2020

Rikuya Hoshino is a 25-year-old Japanese golfer who turned pro in 2016. He started playing golf at the age of 6 and won his first Japan Tour in 2018 at Fujisankei Classic by five strokes. Then in 2019, Hoshino won the Dunlop Srixon Fukushima Open, which was reduced to 54 holes.?

He has a total of five Japan Tour victories in his career so far. Rikuya has also played seven tournaments on the PGA Tour, with the 2021 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines being the recent one where he finished T26. He even competed in The Open Championship at Royal St. George’s, but sadly could not make the cut.?

?The Olympics is a stage that I’ve dreamed about since I was little growing up. And since the last edition of the Olympics, golf has been added, and I’ve been wanting to participate. I’m finally happy to be able to join the Tokyo Olympics in my home country,? said Hoshino.

However, most of the spotlight will be on the 2021 Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama. So Hoshino could take this as an advantage and fight for the podium finish at the Kasumigaseki Country Club.?

Talking about being the first player to tee off the event, Hoshino said, ?The fairway on the first hole is very narrow, so I’m definitely going to be nervous about that, but I want to really focus on trying to hit the fairway and have a good start.?

Read More -?How to Watch Golf at Tokyo Olympics 2020: Round 1 & 2 Tee Times, Pairings, How to Watch, and Weather Report