OSAKA - Yusaku Hosono, a 23-year-old professional golfer who underwent heart surgery as an infant and was forced to abandon his childhood dream of playing baseball, has emerged as one of Japan's brightest golfing talents after winning two domestic major championships this season, becoming the first left-handed player in 35 years to claim a men's tour victory.
Hosono, one of only two left-handed players among approximately 200 competitors on Japan's men's professional golf tour, has enjoyed a breakthrough season, winning the Japan PGA Championship for his first professional title before adding the Japan Open, becoming the first player since Ryo Ishikawa to capture two domestic majors in a single season.
Speaking with former Hanshin Tigers pitcher Minoru Iwata, who played professional baseball while managing type 1 diabetes, Hosono reflected on the challenges that shaped his career, the sacrifices made by his family and his ambition to become the first left-handed player to finish the season at the top of Japan's men's golf rankings.
Hosono was born with a congenital heart condition and underwent surgery when he was just two months old. Doctors subsequently restricted his physical activity, warning that the demanding training required to pursue baseball, particularly at the high school level, would be too strenuous for him.
Baseball had been a natural ambition for Hosono, whose father and older brother both played the sport. His family had originally expected him to follow the same path, but his heart condition forced a change in direction.
Instead, his father introduced him to golf, a sport he enjoyed as a hobby. Hosono, who is naturally left-handed, began playing with left-handed clubs and gradually developed the skills that would eventually take him into the professional ranks.
"Originally, I really wanted to play baseball because both my father and older brother played," Hosono said. "But doctors told us I wouldn't be able to keep up with the amount of training involved because of my heart condition."
Although golf was initially a substitute for the sport he loved, Hosono said the satisfaction of continually improving turned it into a lifelong passion.
"Something I couldn't do yesterday becomes something I can do today, or something I couldn't do last year becomes possible," he said. "That sense of achievement and happiness is why I've continued to enjoy golf all these years."
His progress was particularly challenging because left-handed golfers remain rare in Japan, making suitable equipment and practice facilities difficult to find.
Hosono recalled how his father went to considerable lengths to obtain clubs, sometimes importing them from overseas or buying left-handed women's clubs and cutting them down to fit his son.
The process was expensive and time-consuming, and Hosono acknowledged the sacrifices his father made to support his development.
"My father must have struggled a great deal," he said. "It cost a lot of money, and looking back, I realize how much difficulty I caused him."
Despite pursuing a career in golf, Hosono has remained an enthusiastic baseball fan. He originally supported the Yakult Swallows and particularly admired star hitter Munetaka Murakami, whom he traveled to Jingu Stadium to watch.
Hosono said he had also begun following the Chicago White Sox because of Murakami, while his growing friendship with Iwata had sparked an interest in the Hanshin Tigers.
After visiting Hanshin's spring training camp and watching the players practice, Hosono admitted he was increasingly attracted to the Osaka-based club.
"I thought they looked really cool," he said. "I'm actually starting to become a Hanshin fan."
Iwata, who retired from professional baseball in 2021 after a career with Hanshin, has developed his own interest in left-handed golf through his friendship with Hosono. Naturally right-handed when playing golf, Iwata began experimenting with a left-handed swing after meeting Hosono in 2025.
The former pitcher congratulated Hosono on his Japan Open victory and asked how it felt to have claimed two of the country's biggest tournaments in the same season.
Hosono explained that winning the Japan PGA Championship had given him confidence, and he was determined not to allow too much time to pass before claiming his second professional title.
"I wanted to get my second victory fairly quickly after winning the Japan PGA Championship," he said. "But I never imagined that second win would come at the Japan Open. I'm simply very happy."
Iwata praised Hosono's ability to place shots accurately rather than relying primarily on driving distance, describing his control and course management as particularly impressive.
Asked about his approach to practice, Hosono said consistency was more important than producing occasional perfect shots.
"Rather than hitting a shot that's worth 100 points, I think it's better to consistently hit shots worth 70 points," he said. "Even one perfect shot doesn't necessarily give you a birdie. When I practice, I'm thinking about whether I can repeat that shot throughout an entire day or an entire year."
Iwata compared the philosophy to professional baseball, where dependable starting pitchers must perform well enough to keep their teams competitive even when they are not at their best.
The conversation also turned to physical conditioning, with Hosono acknowledging that he has so far undertaken relatively light weight training but hopes to develop greater strength as he prepares for a possible move into international competition.
He identified his arms and back as areas he would particularly like to strengthen, although he recognized that adding muscle does not automatically improve golfing performance and could potentially interfere with his swing.
Iwata recommended kettlebell training, explaining that the exercises strengthen the core, hips, hamstrings and other muscle groups involved in generating athletic power.
The former pitcher said that even several years after retiring, he had managed to throw a baseball at approximately 134 to 135 kilometers per hour despite no longer practicing pitching regularly, an achievement he partly attributed to kettlebell exercises.
Hosono also took the opportunity to ask Iwata about the psychological pressure of professional baseball, particularly the experience of pitching in front of crowds that might boo a struggling player.
Golfers rarely face that kind of direct confrontation during competition, and Hosono said he was curious about how baseball players handled the pressure.
Iwata explained that with their livelihoods depending on results, pitchers have little choice but to concentrate on getting opposing batters out.
"When you're out there, all you're thinking is that you absolutely have to stop them," he said. "When you get beaten, you really feel it, but the satisfaction of getting the batter out is incredible."
He compared that feeling to the spontaneous fist pump a golfer might make after winning a tournament.
Hosono now turns his attention to the ACN Championship Golf Tournament, which will be held at Miki Golf Club in Hyogo Prefecture from November 5th to 8th, as he pursues his ambition of becoming the first left-handed player to finish a season as Japan's men's tour champion.
He has fond memories of the tournament, having finished inside the top 10 in the previous year's competition, and believes the course suits his style of play.
Hosono also feels a special connection with the Kansai region, where he celebrated both of his major victories this season in neighboring Shiga Prefecture.
"I finished in the top 10 last year, and it's a course I really like," he said. "Both the Japan PGA Championship and the Japan Open were held in Shiga, so I feel I have a strong connection with the Kansai region. I really want to aim for victory at the ACN Championship."
The tournament carries total prize money of 120 million yen, including 24 million yen for the winner, and will feature 108 competitors over four rounds.
The competition will be broadcast on BS Fuji from November 5th through 8th, with Kansai Television and the Fuji Television network also providing coverage on November 6th, 7th and 8th.
Source: KTV NEWS
