Ayaka Furue:Top 3 for two consecutive tournaments: "I'll stay focused and aim for the top" - 13 Japanese drivers participate in the Ford Championship - Interviews before the start (Part 1)

The LPGA Women's Golf Tour's Ford Championship kicks off on March 28 (Japan time) at Whirlwind GC in Arizona, USA, and WOWOW will broadcast live coverage of the four days of play. Japanese players have been performing well since the start of the season, including Takeda Reo, who won the previous tournament, Blue Bay LPGA; Furue Ayaka, who has been in the top three for two consecutive tournaments; Iwai Akemi, who competed for the championship in Thailand in February; and Yoshida Yuri, who is aiming for two consecutive victories in Japan and the USA. For the first time this season, 13 tour members will be taking part in the full tournament. Before the tournament begins, the players spoke of their enthusiasm. We will deliver the results in two parts.

◇Ayaka Furue

--It's been two weeks since you finished competing in the Spring Asia Series. Can you look back on it?

It was really hot every week, and I'm sure he had to be careful about his physical condition while playing golf, but I think he handled it well under those circumstances.

--I think it's going to be hot this week too, what are your impressions of the course?

It's very dry, and the altitude is high, so I think the ball will fly further than usual. I'll have to be careful about that, and I think it's a course with a lot of rolling, so I'd like to calculate it well.

--There are bunkers here and there on the fairway, but what do you think are the key points?

I'd like to keep the ball on the fairway, and while paying attention to the undulations on and around the green, I'd like to aim to get on the green first.

--Please tell us your enthusiasm for this week.

This week too, I would like to stay focused and have fun, being myself, and aim for the top.

◇Yamashita Miyu

--First of all, could you please look back on the last Asia Series?

My shots were going pretty well, but I just couldn't improve on the final day and it ended up being a disappointing result, so I'll try my best again this week.

--How did you spend your two weeks off?

It was a lot of fun being able to tour Korea for the first time, and I think the week that followed was a good way to prepare for this week.

What is your impression of this course?

The course has some amazing runs, but the ground is hard so I feel like it's difficult to get the vertical distance right, so I'd like to work hard to be able to get the vertical distance right.

--Please tell us your enthusiasm for this week.

First of all, I want to make sure I pass the qualifying rounds and then do my best to finish under par over all four days.

◇Reo Takeda

Q: You had two weeks off after your win at the Blue Bay LPGA. Did you celebrate?

I received messages from a lot of people and went back to Kumamoto, so I think it was a really good two weeks.

--Was there anything that gave you confidence?

I think the fact that I was able to win in the end while in the race for the championship gave me a lot of confidence.

--This week's course seems quite different from previous ones. What do you think?

It's not particularly rough, it's more like sand or a desert, but it's a flat course so I think it feels really nice.

--Please tell us your enthusiasm for this week.

I will do my best for the next four days this week as well.

◇Akinori Iwai

--Last week you had the domestic tour, and this week you have the LPGA tour, so you'll have back-to-back events, but first can you look back on last week?

I was happy to play on a tough course last week. There were a lot of spectators and it was really fun.

--You played some really good golf on the final day, but what did you gain from it and how did it feel?

I didn't really get anything out of it, but I have some issues to work on. I wasn't able to make the perfect putts, so I hope I can make good use of that this week and make the perfect putts.

-You were in the running to win at the Honda LPGA Thailand in the Asian Series, and you played some good golf last week too, so I think you're in good form coming into this tournament. How do you feel about that?

I was very happy to be competing for the championship in Thailand, but I lost the match. If I have more chances to compete for the championship, I hope I can win it someday.

◇Mao Saigo

-There was a two-week gap since the Blue Bay LPGA. How did you spend it?

I was feeling a little unwell, so I took the first week to rest and get better, and then the remaining week was packed with club adjustments and training.

--Your rankings improved gradually in the three consecutive tournaments in Asia, from 33rd place (Honda LPGA Thailand), to 11th place (HSBC Women's World Championship), to 5th place (Blue Bay LPGA). Was there anything in particular that made you feel a sense of accomplishment?

I didn't feel like my shots were that good, but I think it was good that I was able to improve my performance towards the end. However, there were many times when I wasn't satisfied with my shots, so I feel like that's still an area I need to improve on.

--I believe this is your first time on this course. What are your impressions now that you've gone around it? Are there any parts where you can use your strengths and any parts that are difficult?

The greens are in pretty good condition, so I think it's important to know where to land and how to feel the distance. Also, the fairway is firm, so I think you can get some distance, but I think the second shot, the shot that aims for the green, is the most interesting.

--Please tell us your enthusiasm for this week.

I feel like I'm gradually being able to hit the shots I want to hit more and more, so I'd like to work hard to maintain that throughout the four days of the match.

◇Nasa Hataoka

-Did you do anything fun when you returned to Japan?

I was pretty tired after the Blue Bay LPGA, so I couldn't go out much, but I did go to a hot stone bath twice."

--You've been improving your rankings in the Asia Series, finishing tied for 14th at the HSBC Women's World Championship and tied for 8th at the Blue Bay LPGA. Do you feel good about yourself?

I really wish I could do a little better with my tee shots and around the green, but there are some areas where I'm gradually improving, so I would like to continue to improve in those areas so that I can consistently play at the top of the rankings.

--You tied for 26th place in this tournament last year. The course is different, but what are your impressions of it being a desert course?

Arizona is a little higher in altitude, so the ball flies quite far, and because it's dry the fairways are hard, so I think it's great for gaining distance.

--Please tell us your enthusiasm for this week.

It's a new course, but I think it's one that suits me, and I hope to manage it well and play good golf.

*WOWOW will broadcast the Ford Championship live every day. The first day (March 28th), second day (29th), third day (30th), and final day (31st) will be broadcast live and streamed on WOWOW Live and WOWOW On Demand from 7am on all four days. The "Japanese Players Only Camera" (standard version), which broadcasts the play of Japanese players, will be streamed live on WOWOW On Demand.