Junko Omote (click to enlarge)
I admit that I very nearly didn’t cover this event. With a few big names missing and the Japan Women’s Open, the third Major of the JLPGA season, coming up next week, my gaze was already fixed to the future. However, I’m glad I didn’t skip the the 2015 Miyagi TV Cup Dunlop Women’s Open. It’s great to see a player like Junko Omote come through with a sensational three days of play that saw her drop in 13 birdies against only 2 bogeys to take the title at 11-under, 3 shots clear of Shiho Oyama. It’s Junko’s first of win of the season and her first win since 2013’s Yonex Ladies Golf Tournament. Her two other titles were won back in 2005, when she finished 6th on the JLPGA money list. It has not been as good for her since then. She struggled for a handful of years after 2005. The last three seasons have been an improvement. In fact, her scoring average in 2013 and 2014 was better than her average was in 2005. The problem is that the competition has also improved from rising players in Japan and those who have come to the JLPGA from South Korea, like Bo-Mee Lee and Sun-Ju Ahn. So while Junko’s play is in line with what it was statistically in 2005, it’s not enough for the top 10 or 15 these days. But nonetheless, that doesn’t matter today. What matters now is she played very well this weekend, besting the field at the Rifu Golf Club. If she’s going have a time to start playing hot, this is a good time with the Japan Women’s Open up next.
ALL PICS CLICK TO ENLARGE
1 JUNKO OMOTE (-11)
with Maiko Wakabayashi, Rikako Morita, Kaori Aoyama, Hiroki Omote and Mihoko Iseri
with low amateur, Minami Katsu
2 SHIHO OYAMA (-8)
3 LALA ANAI (-7)
T4 MAYU HATTORI (-5)
T4 YEO-JIN KANG (-5)
A FEW OTHER NOTABLES:
T6 MINAMI KATSU, low amateur (-4)
T6 RUI KITADA (-4)
T9 ERIKA KIKUCHI (-3)
T14 MOMOKO UEDA (-2)
T14 RIKAKO MORITA (-2)
| RANK | PLAYER | SCORE | TOTAL | 1R | 2R | 3R | 4R | PRIZE | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 優勝 | Junko Omote | -11 | 205 | 67 | 68 | 70 | ¥12,600,000 | ||
| 2 | Shiho Oyama | -8 | 208 | 72 | 63 | 73 | ¥6,300,000 | ||
| 3 | Lala Anai | -7 | 209 | 71 | 68 | 70 | ¥4,900,000 | ||
| 4T | Yeo-Jin Kang | -5 | 211 | 72 | 70 | 69 | ¥3,850,000 | ||
| 4T | Mayu Hattori | -5 | 211 | 70 | 71 | 70 | ¥3,850,000 | ||
| 6T | Ai Suzuki | -4 | 212 | 72 | 72 | 68 | ¥2,625,000 | ||
| 6T | Rui Kitada | -4 | 212 | 72 | 69 | 71 | ¥2,625,000 | ||
| 6T | @Minami Katsu | -4 | 212 | 71 | 67 | 74 | ¥0 | ||
| 9T | Megumi Shimokawa | -3 | 213 | 72 | 72 | 69 | ¥1,570,800 | ||
| 9T | Erika Kikuchi | -3 | 213 | 73 | 71 | 69 | ¥1,570,800 | ||
| 9T | Na-Ri Lee | -3 | 213 | 70 | 73 | 70 | ¥1,570,800 | ||
| 9T | Ayaka Matsumori | -3 | 213 | 72 | 71 | 70 | ¥1,570,800 | ||
| 9T | Erina Hara | -3 | 213 | 72 | 69 | 72 | ¥1,570,800 | ||
| 14T | @Minami Hiruta | -2 | 214 | 70 | 73 | 71 | ¥0 | ||
| 14T | Rikako Morita | -2 | 214 | 72 | 71 | 71 | ¥1,092,000 | ||
| 14T | Momoko Ueda | -2 | 214 | 75 | 68 | 71 | ¥1,092,000 | ||
| 14T | Saki Nagamine | -2 | 214 | 71 | 71 | 72 | ¥1,092,000 | ||
| 14T | O Sattaya | -2 | 214 | 70 | 71 | 73 | ¥1,092,000 | ||
| 19T | Yuko Mitsuka | -1 | 215 | 71 | 75 | 69 | ¥812,000 | ||
| 19T | Miki Sakai | -1 | 215 | 73 | 71 | 71 | ¥812,000 | ||
| 19T | Ayaka Watanabe | -1 | 215 | 72 | 75 | 68 | ¥812,000 | ||
| 19T | Airi Saitoh | -1 | 215 | 74 | 67 | 74 | ¥812,000 | ||
| 23T | Misuzu Narita | 0 | 216 | 71 | 74 | 71 | ¥679,000 | ||
| 23T | Rumi Yoshiba | 0 | 216 | 72 | 73 | 71 | ¥679,000 | ||
| 23T | Hee-Kyung Bae | 0 | 216 | 70 | 73 | 73 | ¥679,000 | ||
| 26T | Eun-Bi Jang | +1 | 217 | 72 | 73 | 72 | ¥623,000 | ||
| 26T | Miki Uehara | +1 | 217 | 72 | 73 | 72 | ¥623,000 | ||
| 26T | Yoko Maeda | +1 | 217 | 71 | 73 | 73 | ¥623,000 | ||
| 26T | Da-Ye Na | +1 | 217 | 73 | 74 | 70 | ¥623,000 | ||
| 26T | Nachiyo Ohtani | +1 | 217 | 75 | 68 | 74 | ¥623,000 | ||
| 31T | Yukari Nishiyama | +2 | 218 | 70 | 76 | 72 | ¥574,000 | ||
| 31T | Kumiko Kaneda | +2 | 218 | 73 | 72 | 73 | ¥574,000 | ||
| 33T | Kaori Ohe | +3 | 219 | 75 | 71 | 73 | ¥525,000 | ||
| 33T | Kaori Yamamoto | +3 | 219 | 72 | 74 | 73 | ¥525,000 | ||
| 33T | Shinobu Moromizato | +3 | 219 | 73 | 72 | 74 | ¥525,000 | ||
| 33T | Kotone Hori | +3 | 219 | 74 | 73 | 72 | ¥525,000 | ||
| 37T | Hiroko Fukushima | +4 | 220 | 73 | 73 | 74 | ¥469,000 | ||
| 37T | Ah-Reum Hwang | +4 | 220 | 72 | 73 | 75 | ¥469,000 | ||
| 37T | Mihoko Iseri | +4 | 220 | 73 | 74 | 73 | ¥469,000 | ||
| 37T | Esther Lee | +4 | 220 | 72 | 75 | 73 | ¥469,000 | ||
| 41T | Yumi Sasahara | +5 | 221 | 73 | 73 | 75 | ¥420,000 | ||
| 41T | Miho Mori | +5 | 221 | 71 | 74 | 76 | ¥420,000 | ||
| 41T | Ji-Woo Lee | +5 | 221 | 72 | 73 | 76 | ¥420,000 | ||
| 44T | Akane Saeki | +6 | 222 | 72 | 74 | 76 | ¥385,000 | ||
| 44T | Yukari Baba | +6 | 222 | 72 | 75 | 75 | ¥385,000 | ||
| 46T | Hikari Kawamitsu | +7 | 223 | 75 | 71 | 77 | ¥343,000 | ||
| 46T | Kaori Aoyama | +7 | 223 | 74 | 73 | 76 | ¥343,000 | ||
| 46T | Rika Inoue | +7 | 223 | 73 | 74 | 76 | ¥343,000 | ||
| 46T | Ayano Nitta | +7 | 223 | 71 | 76 | 76 | ¥343,000 | ||
| 50 | Maiko Wakabayashi | +9 | 225 | 75 | 72 | 78 | ¥308,000 | ||
| 51 | Shiori Ehara | +11 | 227 | 70 | 76 | 81 | ¥294,000 |
Fairways and Forehands 