The Chevron Championship, the first major tournament of the season on the LPGA Women's Golf Tour, will begin on April 25th (Japan time) at The Club at Carlton Woods in Texas, USA, with all 13 Japanese tour members participating.
Last year, Japanese players won two of the five major tournaments, with Yuka Sasao at the U.S. Women's Open and Sayaka Furue at the Evian Championship, and their performance this season will be attracting attention. WOWOW, which will broadcast live the four-day tournament, released interviews with 13 players just before the start of the season. We will deliver this in two parts.
◇Ayaka Furue
--You've finally reached your first major match. How are you feeling?
I'm gradually starting to get into my groove, so I hope to be able to take on the challenge with a positive attitude.
Q: After winning the Evian Championship last year, has your attitude towards the majors changed?
Winning a major gave me confidence, so I think it's made me want to try and win other majors as well.
--The course has been quite wet this week due to rain. What are your impressions?
It's been raining quite a bit in the run up to the match, and the fairways and greens are a little soft, so I'll have to be careful about that, but I'd like to be able to play aggressively.
--Finally, please tell us your enthusiasm.
I hope to continue doing my best this week and aim to come in at the top.
◇Yamashita Miyu
--You did well last week, tying for third place, but how is your condition now?
I think the conditions are pretty good, but I'm just going to make sure I'm fine-tuning my shot image today so that I can play in good form starting tomorrow.
--I heard that your coach's father was here this week too. Did he give you any advice?
Since we've been working remotely the whole time, it's reassuring to have someone on-site to watch over us, and they've been giving us a lot of advice since yesterday, which gives me confidence.
--Finally, please tell us your enthusiasm.
First of all, I want to do my best and aim to stay under par for all four days.
◇Reo Takeda
--This will be your first major as a tour member. What kind of mindset do you want to have when playing?
This is the first major tournament of the year, and it's my first time participating in this tournament, so I was really looking forward to it. However, I hope I can play as I normally do, just like in any other match.
--What is your impression after completing this course?
There are several holes that involve ponds, and I think these are the key points.
--Please tell us about your enthusiasm for this tournament.
I will concentrate on my own play for the next four days and do my best.
◇Akinori Iwai
Q: You came in second at the Honda LPGA Thailand in February and at the JM Eagle LA Championship last week, so you were just one step away from winning. Could you tell us the reason for your success and what you think about it?
I don't really know what the reason for my good performance is, but I had the impression that I was putting pretty well last week. Also, I had a lot of shots that were close to the pin, so I had a lot of chances and I think I just happened to make a lot of shots last week.
--This is your first major match. How do you feel?
It's a major tournament after all, so I definitely want to finish as highly ranked as possible, but first I'll do my best to aim for passing the qualifying rounds.
--Finally, please tell us your enthusiasm for this week.
I hope to have some fun with my caddie Mark this week as well and go for it in my own playing style.
◇ Yuka Sasao
--Your first major match is finally about to begin, how do you feel?
The course is a little wet due to the rain, but they always prepare it in great condition every year, so I'm really looking forward to it.
--What level of management do you think is necessary to reach the top?
I think the key is to first place your tee shot on the fairway, then get the ball onto the green and putt as well as possible.
--Please tell us your enthusiasm for this week.
First of all, I want to enjoy playing golf.
◇Mao Saigo
--It's finally your first major match, how are you feeling?
It feels like my time in the majors has come so quickly. I'm not feeling that great right now, so I want to get myself in better shape as quickly as possible.
--You've said that your condition hasn't improved that much yet, but how do your shots feel since the start of this week?
Last week, my shots were gradually improving, but when I came to the venue this week, some holes felt even narrower than last week. I felt like I was still not within my tolerance range from last week, so I've been practicing while making various changes since this week, but I think it's a matter of how much I can feel by the time of the match. There are some things I won't know until the match, but I hope to find my own thing as soon as possible.
--Finally, please tell us your enthusiasm.
My condition hasn't improved much yet, but I want to work hard so that I can play in a way that I'm satisfied with.
*The Chevron Championship will be broadcast and streamed live every day on WOWOW Live and WOWOW On Demand. On the first day (25th) and second day (26th), the first half will be broadcast and streamed from midnight, and the second half from 7am. On the third day (27th) and final day (28th), it will be broadcast and streamed from 3am. WOWOW On Demand will also be live streaming a "camera dedicated to Japanese players" that will focus on the performance of Japanese players.
