Golf-Japan's 'Tiger' Ishikawa turns professional at 16

TOKYO, Jan 10 (Reuters) - Japanese teenager Ryo Ishikawa, dubbed the country's Tiger Woods, announced his decision to turn professional on Thursday at just 16 years and three months.

"From today I am Ryo Ishikawa the professional golfer," he told a packed news conference. "Playing on tour and studying at the same time may be hard but I am ready for the challenge."

Ishikawa, widely seen as the saviour of the struggling Japanese men's tour, is the youngest player to join the country's professional ranks.

The high school student shot to fame in May last year, becoming the youngest winner on the Japanese tour at 15 years and eight months at the Munsingwear Open KSB Cup in a remarkable debut.

His victory shattered the previous record held by Spain's Seve Ballesteros, who won the 1977 Japan Open aged 20 years and seven months.

The local press were quick to label Ishikawa the "Japanese Tiger" and his marketability gave the men's tour a timely boost at a time when sponsorship and interest were on the wane.

"I want to play with Tiger in the future," said Ishikawa, blushing in the glare of dozens of camera flashes. "I want to live up to people's expectations."

Ishikawa's early jump to the professional ranks has been estimated to be worth around $10 million over the next five years to the boy Japan's media calls the "bashful prince".