Ishikawa to concentrate on world ranking

Ryo Ishikawa has confirmed that he will not play in next month's Japanese US Open qualifier so that he can try to qualify through the world rankings.

Ishikawa, who is currently ranked 54th, needs to stay inside the top 60 if he is to earn a place in the tournament, that is scheduled to start on 14th June in San Francisco.

"I want to pick up the necessary points over the next two weeks," said the 20-year-old who will play in the Japan PGA Championship and the Totoumi Hamamatsu Open in the next fortnight.

The one-day, 36-hole qualifying event in Japan will take place on 21st May in Shizuoka Prefecture.

Ishikawa has played in the last two US Opens, finishing 33rd in 2010 and 30th 12 months later.

He has featured in the last four US Masters, but has only beaten the cut once, in 2011, when he finished tied for 20th.

His best performance at The Open Championship came in 2010 when he was 27th, with a 56th finish at The USPGA Championship in 2009 being his best display in the fourth Major of the year.

During his professional career, Ishikawa has won nine tournaments on the Japan Golf Tour and also emerged victorious at the Kansai Open in 2008.

In May 2007, he became the youngest winner of a tournament on the Japan Golf Tour when he finished at the top of the leaderboard at the Munsingwear Open KSB Cup when aged just 15 years and eight months.

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