Ikki Amano lines up his shot with quiet focus on the GCC golf course, a long way from the days he once dreaded picking up a club. Born in Mongolia and raised in Japan, Amano’s journey into golf began at age three—reluctantly—under the urging of his father. Everything changed in sixth grade, when he discovered his idol, Rory McIlroy, and found not just skill, but passion for this sport. Now competing as a standout in the U.S. junior college circuit, Amano’s early resistance to the game has evolved into a drive that’s taken him across continents.
When asked about the biggest challenges in golf, Ikki Amano pointed to the mental side of the game. “I mean, all the players have different things to work on. Some players might be mental, some might be technical skills,” Amano said. “For me at least, I mean I’ve been playing for eighteen years so the technical stuff isn’t that bad. But for me it’s usually mental.”
Amano also highlighted the importance of team support, crediting his experience at Glendale Community College for helping him stay grounded. “This is the part I really love about my GCC team. We are really close with each other. Y’know there’s some teams in our conference where they’re friends and all, but I get the feeling they don’t hang out a lot. But we [GCC golf team] hang out a lot outside of golf,” he said. “We go go-karting, we go play golf, go watch movies, but at the same time we get to talk about everything. Golf especially.”
This level of off-course bonding, Amano suggests, helps build the chemistry that translates into strong team performance.
Amano reflected on a turning point in his golf career that helped him overcome internal pressure during the previous season. “It was last season — I think the reason why my golf season went back on track is because I talked with one of my teammates,” Amano said. “He told me since I came to the U.S. to play golf I was putting pressure on myself. ‘Not a lot of kids from other countries get to come to the U.S. to play college golf. I get that you pressure yourself but also start having fun.’ So that’s what I started to do.”
“As soon as I felt that pressure off my back it was really nice,” he added. “I was able to spread my wings and play freely.”
After working through personal challenges, Amano found his rhythm on the course and began to excel at Glendale Community College. He earned second-team All-Western State Conference honors in his freshman year. “It was a great feeling. It was my freshman year and I had never played golf in the U.S.,” Amano said. “After this one tournament, though, everything just clicked. I was fortunate enough to make second team All-Conference. I made it to the SoCal regionals, which was nice.”
Amano’s results reflect his persistence and growing confidence in a competitive environment far from home.
When asked about his goals and what he enjoys most about the sport, Amano emphasized that his motivation comes from the joy of the game itself. “I mean golf in general is fun. The reason I grind every day, going to the range like four or five hours a day, is because I have fun,” he said. “Once everything starts to click and I see the improvement, then golf becomes very enjoyable.”
Amano also reflected on the importance of winning and how it fuels his drive. “Being able to experience how to win also drives me, because every moment I grind is for that moment of success—to be holding that trophy in front of all the guys,” he said.
Looking ahead, Amano is clear about his aspirations after Juco, also known as junior college. Two year public institutions that offer associate’s degrees that can be used to transfer into a bachelor’s degree program at a four year university. “After Juco, I plan on transferring to a Division I school. I want to turn pro and play on the PGA Tour,” he said.
Despite the challenges of competing far from home, Amano remains confident in his path forward and committed to achieving his goals.
Sean Canonico can be reached at [email protected].