With a final-round 66, Satoshi Kodaira came from six shots back to win the RBC Heritage. The victory was a life-changing event for the 28-year old from Tokyo.
Here’s a roundup of what Kodaira accomplished after four rounds at Harbour Town:
1. PGA Tour Exemption: The win earned Kodaira a two-year membership into the PGA Tour, carrying him through the 2019-20 season. “This is a stage I’ve been dreaming about. And having this opportunity to play full-time is a dream come true. So, of course, I will accept the full-time membership,” said an excited Kodaira.
2. Money & Points: Kodaira earned $1,206,000 – by far his highest payday as a professional – and 500 FedExCup points. In addition, his non-member points will transfer over, which includes 33 at the Masters, and eight each from the WGCs (Mexico and Dell MP) for a total of 549 which will put him at No. 37. (It took 365 points to qualify for the FedExCup Playoffs in 2017).
3. Invitationals: Kodaira’s win earned him a spot into the following 2018 PGA Tour events: THE PLAYERS Championship, Fort Worth Invitational, the Memorial Tournament, The National and PGA Championship. For the 2019 season, he earned spots in the following: Sentry Tournament of Champions, CareerBuilder Challenge, Arnold Palmer Invitational and RBC Heritage.
4. World Rankings: Kodaira secured 52 OWGR points and moved from No. 46 to No. 27 in the Official World Golf Ranking – the highest of his career.
5. Presidents Cup: The International team is selected using the top-10 non-American and European ranked players in the OWGR. At No. 27, Kodaira is currently 4th in the standings, behind only Hideki Matsuyama (Japan), Jason Day (Australia), and Marc Leishman (Australia).
6. Big Name Company: Kodaira becomes the seventh non-American winner this season on Tour, and first from Japan. He joins Justin Rose (England, WGC-HSBC), Jon Rahm (Spain, CareerBuilder), Jason Day (Australia, Farmers), Paul Casey (England, Valspar), Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland, Arnold Palmer), and Ian Poulter (England, Houston Open).
