Imai’s game in full swing
Brookline senior sets sights on team honors
When James Imai first gripped a golf club, he probably never imagined all the places the game could take him.
He was 6 years old while taking his first lesson and knocked over the camera of his swing coach, damaging footage of his introduction to golf. Now when he looks back on that moment, he just laughs, recalling it as when his passion for the game started.
“I don’t really remember my first swing, but I remember the feeling of, you know, ‘Wow this is fun, I love it,’” Imai said. “I remember those days early on where I would start crying because I’d leave the range early. I wanted to hit more balls, or go to the greens, or do something.”
Since then, Imai’s game has taken immense strides due to that same restless dedication, and the continuous growth has enabled him to walk the same fairways as the game’s greats while creating a name for himself in Massachusetts.
On Aug. 9 at the age of 17, he became just the 10th golfer in the history of the state to win multiple junior championships, claiming victory in a dramatic 22hole playoff on the 100th anniversary of the Mass. Junior Amateur tournament.
The moment was just a precursor for something even bigger — one week later, Imai qualified for the USGA Amateur Championship at Pebble Beach. There, he got the first taste of elite amateur golf after missing the cut the previous four tries.
“It was definitely an eyeopener and probably one of the best experiences I have had to date,” he said. “That just kind of made me realize this is what I really want to do. Yes, I have gone a long way, but at the same time I have a long way to go and I want to work at it just to get back to this level and even higher.”
“When I play the amateur tournaments, it is more just about learning. Obviously, I try to play my best and win, but if I can learn what it is like to play at a higher level than we did our job.”
Imai’s accomplishments are plentiful and unquestioned. Even though golf is widely seen as an individual game, the three-year Brookline High School captain offers his team invaluable knowledge from his exposure to tournaments. At practice, he gives tips and eagerly shares what he has learned with freshmen and struggling players on the team, rather than playing with his friends or fellow seniors.
“The thing that strikes me is his sense of team and leadership and how important that is,” said Brookline coach Burt Skvirsky. “He wants to accomplish and he does, but the team is so important. I just don’t see that in every kid I have known over the years. It is unique, I think.”
Imai recently committed to continue golf on the collegiate level at Northwestern in the fall of 2019.
His final season with the Warriors begins Tuesday against Brockton, and he has a short list of goals left to be accomplished.
“When I play high school golf, I am worried about the team. We are trying to win the conference, sectionals and states,” he said. “If I do my job, I feel like I have a good shot of winning the individual (title), but more importantly chip in for the team and hopefully inspire them to play well.”