Shintaro Ban

Ban picked up the game of golf at the age of 8 and cites his father as one of his main influencers. He has enjoyed a very successful junior career and is currently ranked 15th in the Men's World Amateur Golf Rankings.
In 2012, he won the Junior Golf Association of Northern California Championship match-play event and helped Northern California earn a win at Junior America's Cup. Ban was named the JGANC Player of the Year and competed in Junior America's Cup in 2013. He captured the 2014 San Francisco City Men's Amateur title. Ban made history when he captured the California Amateur Championship in 2016, becoming the first brother duo to win the championship after his brother, Shotaro, earned the win in 2015. He also secured the Northern California Golf Association Amateur Match Play Championship and was named the NCGA Player of the Year in 2016.
He competed on both the golf and swim team while at Archbishop Mitty High School. He helped lead the golf team to an undefeated season during his senior season and capture the conference title all four years as a member of the team.
Ban has competed in two previous USGA Championships. Ban advanced to the Round of 32 at the 2012 U.S. Junior Amateur and qualified for the 2013 U.S. Amateur.
He recently graduated from the University of Nevada Las Vegas with a degree in economics and was a four-year member of the Rebels' men's golf team. In his freshman season, Ban competed in eight tournaments and recorded three top-20 finishes with six rounds at par or better. His best finish was a T-13th at the Mountain West Championship.
Ban garnered PING All-West Region and All-Mountain West honors in his sophomore season, after playing in 12 tournaments and posting six top-10 finishes. Ban earned individual medalist honors at the Robert Kepler Intercollegiate.
In his junior season, Ban received WGCA Honorable Mention All-American honors, PING All-West honors and All-Mountain West honors for the second straight season. He competed in 15 tournaments and earned five top-five finishes. His best finish was a T-2nd finish at the ASU Thunderbird Invitational, where he shot a 32, the lowest round in program history.
Ban was named a Jack Nicklaus National Player of the Year Award finalist and a semifinalist for the Ben Hogan Award. He was also named the Mountain West Player of the Year after claiming medalist honors at the conference championship. He finished the season with six top-five finishes and eight top-10 finishes while claiming four individual titles.
He was recently selected to the 2018 USA Palmer Cup Team and will participate in the Match in July at Evian Resort Golf Club in Evian-les-Bains, France.