The Lotte Championship on the LPGA Women's Golf Tour kicks off on November 7th at Hoakalei CC in Hawaii, and will be broadcast live daily on WOWOW. Japanese competitors include Ayaka Furue, winner of this year's major Evian Championship, Nasa Hataoka, who has won six times on the US Tour, Hinako Shibuno, who is expected to recover from illness, Minami Katsu, in her second year on the US Tour, tour rookies Mao Saigo, Yuri Yoshida, Mone Inami, and Hideki Hara. Before the tournament began, the players spoke of their enthusiasm.
This year, the total prize money has been increased from last year's $2 million to $3 million, and the tournament has been moved from the usual mid-April date to November after the Asia Series, making it an even more important tournament for players competing in the various prize races at the end of the season.
The players' comments are as follows:
◇Ayaka Furue
The Lotte Championship seems to have more Japanese spectators, so that's one of the things I'm looking forward to. I'll try to enjoy the unique Hawaiian atmosphere while concentrating on my play and doing my best to make the spectators enjoy themselves too!
◇Nasa Hataoka
I'm looking forward to playing at Hoakalei CC again this year, as it's a course where I've competed for championships before. The time of year is different (from usual), so the wind direction and course conditions may change, but it's a big tournament, so I'll do my best.
◇Mao Saigo
I went to Hawaii once when I was little on a family vacation, and I played a round there and found it very difficult. Since then, I've been there, so I'm not only curious about what the course is like, but I think the scenery will be a great change of pace when playing, so I hope to turn that into a positive.
◇Hira Erika
I'm very excited and grateful to be able to participate again after receiving the recommendation from last year. I'll make sure to adjust well and do my best to overcome the wind at Hoakalei CC that I experienced before.
◇Katsu Minami
I'm happy that so many Japanese spectators came to the Lotte Championship to support me! There are a lot of Japanese people in the pro and amateur groups, and it feels like a Japanese tour atmosphere. The weather is expected to be hot, so I'll take precautions and do my best while enjoying the atmosphere.
*WOWOW will broadcast the Lotte Championship live over four days. It will be broadcast live on WOWOW Live from 9am Japan time from the first day (November 7th) to the final day (November 10th). WOWOW On Demand will broadcast live footage of Japanese players' performances using a camera dedicated to Japanese players.
