*anese professional golfer

Riko Higashio (東尾 理子, Higashio Riko, born 18 November 1975) is a *anese professional golfer and former member of the LPGA Tour.

Contents

• 1 Amateur career
• 2 Professional career
• 3 Family
• 4 Futures Tour wins
• 5 Team appearances
• 6 See also
• 7 References
• 8 External links

Amateur career

Higashio was born in *uoka Prefecture, *an. As a teenager, she won the 1993 *an Amateur Championship and the 1994 *an Junior Championship.

Higashio first attended Nihon University in Tokyo. She accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, United States, where she played for the Florida Gators women's golf team in National Collegiate Athletic *ociation (NCAA) compe*ion from 1996 to 1998. Higashio won four tournaments as a college golfer. She was recognized as the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Freshman of the Year in 1996, and was a first-team All-SEC selection in 1996, 1997 and 1998, an honorable mention All-American in 1996, and a first-team All-American in 1998. She was also honored as a member of the National Golf Coaches *ociation All-American Scholar Team and graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree in psychology in 1998. Higashio will be inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 2013.

Professional career

Higashio turned professional in 1998. She joined the LPGA of *an Tour and the Futures Tour in 1999, and that year she won the SNET Women's Cl*ic on the Futures Tour. Higashio officially joined the LPGA Tour in 2004, and placed thirteenth overall at the Sybase Cl*ic later that year. She placed tenth in the MasterCard Cl*ic in 2005. Higashio suffered a shoulder injury leading to surgery in 2006, and last played on the LPGA Tour in 2007. Her career earnings as a professional golfer totaled over $180,000.

Family

Higashio is the daughter of Osamu Higashio, a member of the *anese Baseball Hall of Fame and a former pitcher and manager of the Seibu Lions baseball team. She is married to *anese actor Junichi Ishida.

Futures Tour wins

• 1999 SNET Women's Cl*ic

Team appearances

Amateur

• Espirito Santo Trophy (representing *an): 1994

Professional

• Lexus Cup (representing Asia team): 2005

See also

• Biography portal

• List of Florida Gators women's golfers on the LPGA Tour
• List of University of Florida alumni
• List of University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame members

References

External links

• Riko Higashio at the LPGA Futures Tour official site (archived)
• Riko Higashio at the LPGA of *an Tour official site (in *anese)
• Higashio's Official Fan Site