Who's this Azuma Yano guy at the US Open? A look at one of Japan's Top JPGA Pros

With all the focus on Tiger and the rain and mudballs at this year’s US Open, most people probably haven’t noticed or had the time to ask who is that guy from Japan tied for 4th after the completion of two rounds? Shigeki Maruyama? Shingo Katayama? No it’s PRGR Pro Azuma Yano.

While well known in Japan, Yano is probably an unknown face anywhere outside of his motherland. Back home here, Yano has always been an upfront presence､ known for his good looks, fashionable sense and great golf game. Last year he had the honor of coming top 3 in both the money list in Japan and in a survey of best dressers on the Japanese Tour. This soft spoken 32 year old pro is popular among peers and frequently gives tips and swing advice for all the major Japanese golf publications. With a smooth and fluid swing and a great all around game, Yano has established himself as a constant force to be reckoned with on the Japanese tour. Could this be his chance at making a name overseas?

Yano was a top amateur as a member of the famed Nihon University golf team and has been Pro Gear or PRGR’s top pro for the last few years and is part of the reason for PRGR’s rise to popularity in the last few years among golfers in Japan. Along with Hideto Tanihara, they pack a 1 – 2 punch barely rivalled by even the biggest brands in Japan on tour. Both Yano and Tanihara are known as just a few of the handful of pros who play an entire bag dedicated to one brand.

So here is a look at PRGR Pro Azuma Yano’s bag and my usual take on their gear.

Yano works closely with PRGR on product development and a lot of the gear that is released from PRGR has his input and influence. The driver used by both Yano and Tanihara is the GN502 TOUR model. I had written about this driver a little earlier in the blog and this model was a result of the need to create a driver with a neutral bias and lower launch that is the preference of Yano and Tanihara. The original GN502 was more of an average golfer model so PRGR created the TOUR version. Yano plays a 9* model for a piercing trajectory and as he noted in pre-production testing, the GN502 Tour has a super hot face and the ball really explodes at impact. This was my finding too in testing. The great thing about the GN502 Tour is that is is considerably more forgiving than one would imagine being dubbed a tour model.

For Yano’s driver shaft, in the past, Yano had stuck to PRGR stock Inspec shafts which many consider a cut above standard stock shafts you see from other OEM’s. However this year, Yano has followed a strong move to the Diamana Kai’li by many pros on the Japanese tour. The Kai’li has suddenly rocketed Diamana’s positioning up the shaft usage charts on the Japanese tour to challenge perennial 1 and 2 Graphite Design and Fujikura.

Yano has opted for forgivness in his 3 wood playing the larger standard M3 Hit 3 wood with Inspec M-49 shaft (though rumor has it that he will or already has changed this to a Kai’li). He does carry a 5 wood as well, the M3 Hit Tour Model also with M-49 (or now Kai’li).

Yano’s irons are the all new GN502 Forged which again are a more compact iron with less offset but still providing forgiveness with its pocket cavity design and asroll nickel chrome molybdenum face. These irons give Yano the fell he wants but also excel in performance.

MTI from PRGR is the choice of many pro players on tour and Yano is no exception. He carries custom MTI wedges in 52 56 and 60 lofts ground for him by MTI founder and master Miyagi-san. MTI is known for great feel and spin with a its strongest strength being control.

Yano putts with the PRGR Silver Blade 03CS which was originally a center shaft prototype for tour players only but has now gone retail.

Yano’s Ball is PRGR’s TR Spin ball, made for the better player wanting distance but mostly a focus on feel and spin control.

Let’s hope this setup can carry him to success at the US Open!