Kangsy! There are few victories I celebrate more than those by Soo-Yun Kang. I was thrilled last year when she won the 2016 Suntory Ladies Open. Now I am doubly pleased to see the 41-year old veteran emerge triumphant from a three woman playoff at the 2017 Resort Trust Ladies. It’s Kangsy’s third career LPGA … Continue reading
Ah, the memories. Last week it was former LPGA favorite of mine, Momoko Ueda, winning on the JLPGA. This week it’s former LPGA superstar, Jiyai Shin, shining at the 2014 Nitori Ladies Golf Tournament. She threw down the gauntlet with a first round 5-under 67. From there, nobody could pass her. Catch her, yes. Pass … Continue reading
Lately it seems the world of women’s golf has been taken over by Generation Next. From Lydia Ko to Lexi Thompson to Ariya Jutanugarn to Hyo-Joo Kim, the word phenom is getting so ubiquitously applied to young player after young player that it’s starting to lose its distinction. Even players who have multiple years and … Continue reading
The first Major of the LPGA of Japan Tour (JLPGA) is heading to the homestretch with Rikako Morita holding a 2 shot lead at 7-under par after the 3rd round of the 2013 World Ladies Championship Salonpas Cup. While Rikako was playing well with a 4-under round, overnight leader Saiki Fujita stumbled with a 3-over … Continue reading
It was a great year on the JLPGA, with terrific performances by Player of the Year Sun Ju Ahn and Chie Arimura, among others. But no story of the year in Japan can escape the tragedy of the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. The JLPGA bounced back to have a great year, highlighted by legendary JLPGA … Continue reading
On November 14th, 1999 Yuri Fudoh of Japan edged Aki Nakano to win the Itoen Ladies by 1 stroke. Her 9-under par victory was her first win in 3 JLPGA seasons. She would finish 1999 with that lone victory. One victory in three years, a nice achievement, many players never win a professional tournament, but … Continue reading
After a second round 75 that left her at 1-over for the tournament, Kumiko Kaneda fired a final round 6-under 66 to finish at 5-under, winning the 2011 Fujisankei Ladies Classic. The victory marked Kaneda’s first JLPGA title. Her 7 birdie, 1 bogey round including birdies on 3 of the 4 par 5 holes. Her … Continue reading
Going into the 2011 LPGA of Japan (JLPGA) season, stories surfaced in the Japanese press about the need for a Japanese resurgence on the JLPGA. Sparked by Sun Ju Ahn’s Player of the Year and Money List success, South Korean golfers found the fairways and greens in Japan quite receptive to their pinpoint tee shots … Continue reading
No matter what happens in the final event of the year, South Korea’s Sun-Ju Ahn cannot be caught on the JLPGA Money List. Already clinching JLPGA Rookie of the Year, the 23-year old Ahn becomes the first South Korean to finish the year atop the JLPGA Money List. Her four JLPGA wins in 2010 also … Continue reading
You can click player names for their JLPGA profile page. MONEY LIST Rank Name Amount Scoring Average 1 Sun-Ju Ahn ¥ 131,443,799 70.5443 2 Sakura Yokomine ¥ 96,658,127 70.7436 3 Mi-Jeong Jeon ¥ 84,241,513 71.2105 4 Yukari Baba ¥ 81,120,341 71.3263 5 Chie Arimura ¥ 72,717,123 71.2262 06 Miki Saiki ¥ 62,071,941 71.8370 07 Yuri … Continue reading
Fairways and Forehands 