hiː hˈæzbiːn ɪnðə tˈɑːp θˈɜːɾi ʌvðɪ əfˈɪʃəl wˈɜːld ɡˈɑːlf ɹˈæŋkɪŋ, ænd wʌzðə hˈaɪɪst ɹˈæŋkt dʒˌæpənˈiːz ɡˈɑːlfɚ fɹʌm tˈuː θˈaʊzənd sˈɛvən tə tˈuː θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪt.
He has been in the top 30 of the Official World Golf Ranking, and was the highest ranked Japanese golfer from 2007 to 2008.