Kota Kaneko Facts: 10 Things To Know About The DP World Tour Pro

Kota Kaneko at the Austrian Alpine Open — (Image credit: Getty Images)

Kota Kaneko has produced some impressive performances in his maiden DP World Tour season, but what is his background? Here are 10 things to know about the Japanese professional.

Kota Kaneko Facts

1. Kota Kaneko was born on September 2nd 2002 in Aichi Prefecture, Japan.

2. He took up golf at an early age after being taken to a driving range by his grandmother.

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3. He turned professional in 2020.

4. His first two Japan Golf Tour titles came in 2025, at the Kansai Open Golf Championship and the Mitsui Sumitomo VISA Taiheiyo Masters.

5. Those wins helped him finish top of the Japan Golf Tour order of merit in 2025.

6. That achievement earned him his first DP World Tour card.

7. He came close to a maiden DP World Tour title at the 2026 Soudal Open, finishing T2 behind Richard Sterne.

8. In his next DP World Tour start, Kaneko cemented his status as a rising star, carding three consecutive rounds of 65 to lead the Austrian Alpine Open by one with a round to play.

Kota Kaneko at the PGA Championship — Kota Kaneko's Major debut came at the 2026 PGA Championship

9. His maiden Major appearance came at the 2026 PGA Championship, where he missed the cut at Aronimink Golf Club.

10. Kaneko earned a spot at the 2026 Open at Royal Birkdale thanks to being in the top five on the International Federation Ranking List.

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Kota Kaneko Bio
Born	September 2nd 2002, Aichi Prefecture, Japan
Turned professional	2020
Current tour	DP World Tour
Professional wins	2

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Kota Kanelk
Tour	Event	Winning Score
Japan Golf Tour	2025 Kansai Open Golf Championship	-15 (one shot)
Japan Golf Tour	2025 Mitsui Sumitomo VISA Taiheiyo Masters	-17 (six shots)

Mike has over 25 years of experience in journalism, including writing on a range of sports throughout that time, such as golf, football and cricket. Now a freelance staff writer for Golf Monthly, he is dedicated to covering the game's most newsworthy stories.

He has written hundreds of articles on the game, from features offering insights into how members of the public can play some of the world's most revered courses, to breaking news stories affecting everything from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to developmental Tours and the amateur game.

Mike grew up in East Yorkshire and began his career in journalism in 1997. He then moved to London in 2003 as his career flourished, and nowadays resides in New Brunswick, Canada, where he and his wife raise their young family less than a mile from his local course.

Kevin Cook’s acclaimed 2007 biography, Tommy’s Honour, about golf’s founding father and son, remains one of his all-time favourite sports books.