User:Cjmat7/Koichi Ono

Son Shi-Kin (Koichi Ono) was born in Manchuria. He served in the Japanese Army in Borneo from 1942 to 1945.

After World War II, the US occupied all of Japan. During the occupation, the US Army Special Services Welfare Fund managed the Hodogaya Golf Club near Yokohama. The US Occupation Army welcomed all Japanese employees back to their previous work.

Prior to the War, Son Shi-Kin (Koichi Ono) was one of three Japanese golf professionals employed at the Hodogaya Golf Club. He returned to the Club in 1947. He was the highest paid employee in 1951 at $54 a month. (Yen 350 = $1).

He won the Japan Open in 1951, 1953. At that time his name was Son Shi-ken. When he became a Japanese citizen 1954 or 1955 he changed his name to Koichi Ono. He won the Open in 1955 as Ono. He was a very successful tournament player. He won numerous golf titles in the fifties. He partnered with Pete Nakamura in the Canada Cup many times and the two won the Cup in Tokyo in 1957. They beat Sam Snead and Jimmy Demaret.

Source cjm.at.7@gmail.com- Private Charles J Malone, US Army, Special Services, Welfare Fund, July 1951, Manager of Hodogaya Golf Club, Yokohama, Japan