The first LPGA women's golf tour tournament, the Mexico Riviera Maya Open, will be held on May 23rd (Japan time) at El Camarion Golf Club in Mexico, and will be broadcast live on WOWOW every day. This will be the first time in eight years that an LPGA tour tournament has been held in Mexico, and five Japanese players, Reo Takeda, Akie Iwai, Chirei Iwai, Minami Katsu, and Yuri Yoshida, will be participating. Prior to the tournament opening, the five players spoke about their enthusiasm in an interview with WOWOW.
◇Reo Takeda
--What is your overall impression of the course?
The course has the feel of a resort course, but the grass around the greens is Tifton, and although the greens aren't Korean, they have a strong grain, so I think those are the difficult aspects.
--The sea breeze seems to have an effect as well, what do you think about that?
The wind has been blowing since the practice round, so I hope to be able to keep the wind in mind when hitting the ball in the actual game.
--The fairways are narrow and the greens are tight in some places, but what do you think are the key points to coming in at the top?
It's not that far away, so I'd like to take advantage of the opportunity and get a birdie.
-What kind of game do you want to have this week?
I hope to be able to play my best from the very first day.
◇Akinori Iwai
-How did you spend your off-week?
I went to San Francisco, played a little golf, and did some sightseeing. I went to the former prison of Alcatraz, which left quite an impression on me. During the golf trip, I had the opportunity to play with Lydia Ko, who was a really nice person and I had a lot of fun with her.
--You traveled with Lydia. Was there anything that inspired or motivated you?
I got the impression that he was very calm, and his golf game was also calm. I thought it was amazing that he was able to compete at the top in that atmosphere.
--The course has tight fairways and small greens, but what is your overall impression?
The fairways aren't that wide and the greens are on the smaller side, so if I can get the ball on the green in a good way, I think I can create a birdie chance, so I think shots will remain important this week.
--Please tell us your enthusiasm for this week.
This week too, I will do my best and give my all to each and every shot.
◇ Chirei Iwai
-I heard that you played with Lydia Ko during your week off. How was that?
It was so much fun. I was so happy I wondered if it was okay to have such a wonderful time.
--What is your impression of the course?
The course is windy, so there are some places where you can't use a driver. On par 3 holes near the ocean, you have to read the width of the curve by about 20 yards, otherwise the ball will fall into the ocean, so I think it's important to read the wind.
--This is a new tournament, so what do you think will be the key to coming out on top?
Even on long holes, if you try to gain distance and attack too much, you'll end up in the rough. The rough here is prone to flyers, so I think it's important to manage it by holding on and landing firmly on the fairway or green.
--This week is a warm-up for the majors, how do you want to play?
Right now I'm not really thinking about the majors, so I'm just going to focus on this week. I hope that the results will carry over to next week.
◇Minami Katsu
--It's been a week since the New York competition. How did you spend it?
Last week was the qualifying tournament for the U.S. Women's Open, so I worked hard in the qualifying tournament until Tuesday, then moved on to Wednesday, and got excited by watching the PGA Championship on Thursday or Friday.
-In what ways did watching the PGA help you increase your motivation?
It's the play of top players. I mainly watched Matsuyama's round, and although he was eliminated in the qualifying round, everything about him was so good that I thought he was a world-class player. He managed the course well, and while everyone else had drivers, he was conscious of chipping with woods and irons to get birdies, which was impressive. I would have been swept away if it were me, but it was a learning experience for me. His approach shots came from all over the place, and the rough was quite sticky, but he didn't even notice and managed to get close to the ball and get par, so I thought it was amazing.
-While you were playing, was there any hole that you thought was key?
I feel like the greens on the front nine are small. Especially on the short holes, there are ponds involved. The same is true on the back nine, but the wind has a big effect on many of the short holes, so I'll be careful with the club judging in that area.
--This week is the week before the Major. How do you want to fight?
It's before the major, but I want to go to the major with momentum, so first I'm aiming to pass the qualifiers in a high position. Also, I haven't won yet, so I think this week is a great chance, so I'll do my best to win.
◇Yoshida Yuri
--You had a week off, how did you spend it?
I took the qualifying round for the U.S. Women's Open, and then I practiced. But I also took some days off to rest.
--What is your impression of the course?
The fairways are narrow and there isn't much rough, but the greens have very strong characteristics, so I think that's the most important thing.
Q: How do you feel about your shots so far this week?
It's not bad, and I think I'm getting better, but when it comes to scoring, I still have a lot of concerns, so I'd like to manage it carefully so that it all fits together well.
--Please tell us your enthusiasm for this week.
I've been using the qualifying rounds in two consecutive tournaments now and although I'm playing good golf, I haven't been able to manage my scores well, so I'll be happy if that works out.
*The Mexico Riviera Maya Open will be broadcast live on WOWOW Live and WOWOW On Demand from midnight on the first (23rd) and second (24th), and from 4am on the third (25th). The final day (26th) will be broadcast live on WOWOW Prime and WOWOW On Demand from 1am. WOWOW On Demand will also have a "camera dedicated to Japanese players" to live stream the play of Japanese players.
