The LPGA Women's Golf Tour's "T-Mobile Match Play" kicked off on April 3rd (Japan time) at Shadow Creek GC in Las Vegas. WOWOW will broadcast the event live every day from 7am on the same day, and WOWOW On Demand will broadcast it live with a "camera dedicated to Japanese players." A total of six Japanese players will be participating: Ayaka Furue, Yuka Sasao, Mao Saigo, Nasa Hataoka, Hinako Shibuno, and Yuna Nishimura. They spoke about their enthusiasm for the tournament.
This is the only match play tournament on the LPGA Tour, and it is a tournament that suits Japanese players well, with Furue finishing second in 2022 and 2023, and Minami Katsu tied for fifth in 2024. Over the first three days of the five-day tournament, 16 groups of four players will play in a round-robin format. The top player from each group will compete in a knockout match over the remaining two days.
◇Ayaka Furue
--First of all, can you look back on last week's tournament where you were competing for the top spot?
I think I've been playing some good golf, so I hope I can keep it up.
--I think match play requires a different mentality than a regular match, so what do you want to keep in mind?
I want to hit well when I need to hit, and I want to make good saves when I need to make saves.
--You've played here at Shadow Creek many times, but how does it feel to be back here again?
I think it's a really hard course, and the wind will also be very strong, so I'll need to be careful about that.
--How have the conditions changed compared to last year?
Hmm... I don't know (laughs). It's not as cold as last year, so it should be easier to play, and the information I've received says that the greens are a little softer, but the green speed itself remains fast, so I'll be careful about that.
--When we think of Furue, we think of match play, and he has advanced to the finals twice in the past. What are your aspirations for this year?
They will be a really tough opponent every time, but I hope we can put pressure on them with some aggressive play.
◇ Yuka Sasao
-First of all, please tell us about your experience with match play.
Not at all since I turned professional.
--Do you remember the last time you competed as an amateur?
It was quite some time ago, about 10 years ago in the U.S. Match play isn't held in Japan.
--I imagine your mindset is different from normal play, how do you feel about that?
I don't know (laughs). I've played match play in team competitions, but I haven't played individual match play since turning professional, so I can't say what it's like.
--It seems like a challenging course, what do you think about that?
It's not easy. The wind is strong, the greens are fast and the distances are long, so it's difficult.
--So, please tell us your enthusiasm for this week.
I hope to be able to enjoy playing golf in a match play format that I haven't played in a long time.
◇ Hinako Shibuno
--This week is match play. How do you feel?
This is my first time playing match play, so I don't know how to do it (laughs).
--It seems like some negotiation is required. What do you think?
I can't negotiate or anything like that, so I'll just play golf (laughs).
--I believe you completed this course last year as well. What were your impressions?
It's still difficult, so I wonder if I can really endure it. The wind was really strong yesterday, but the forecast says it should be fine for the match. If it looks a little cold tomorrow, I hope they stop (laughs).
--How are your shots going?
I had a really poor game of golf over the two days last week and I had a hard time moving my body well, so I practiced with the image of making big, firm shots.
--So, please tell us what you're excited about this week.
I'm not going to rush, and since this is my first match play, I'll try to have fun and do my best.
◇The broadcast dates are as follows:
<Day 1> April 3rd, 7am [WOWOW Live] <Day 2> April 4th, 7am [WOWOW Live] <Day 3> April 5th, 7am [WOWOW Prime] <Day 4> April 6th, 7am [WOWOW Live] <Final Day/Semi-Finals> April 7th, 2:30am - [WOWOW Live] <Final Day/Finals> April 7th, 7am [WOWOW Live]
※WOWOW On Demand will broadcast live using a camera dedicated to Japanese athletes
