The Meyer LPGA Classic, a pre-major tournament for the LPGA Women's Golf Tour, kicked off on June 12th (Japan time) at Brizefield Country Club in Michigan. WOWOW will be broadcasting the tournament live every day starting early on the 13th. Eleven Japanese players, including Takeda Reo, Furue Ayaka, and Shibuno Hinako, will be taking part in the major tournament the following week, the KPMG Women's PGA Championship. WOWOW, which will be broadcasting and streaming the tournament, interviewed Takeda, Furue, Yamashita Miyu, twins Iwai Akemi and Chirei, and Hataoka Nasa ahead of the tournament's opening, where they shared their enthusiasm.
The tournament has been held on the same course since it was added to the tour in 2014. This long-established course, which opened in 1929, has good visibility on each hole and relatively wide fairways, so players are expected to keep attacking aggressively until the end. In addition, there are many holes with hard elevated greens and sloping greens from the front to the back, so the key is to make sure you can make it into regulation.
◇Reo Takeda
-What do you think are the key points of this course?
I think the key is to be able to get good birdies on the par 5s.
--The rough is quite long and the greens seem to be hard in some places. How do you feel about the conditions?
If you get into the rough, it's easy to sink, so try to avoid it as much as possible. The green is also hard, so I want to be able to manage it well from the front.
--This week is the week before the major league, what do you want to focus on as you play?
This week I want to work hard and play my best.
◇Ayaka Furue
What are your impressions of this week's course?
The rough is longer than usual and it feels sticky (the ball is buried in the grass and difficult to hit), so every year I feel the need to stay on the fairway and on the green.
--You played some good golf last week (4th place), and the wind will likely be a key factor this week, so what will you be focusing on as you play?
The wind looks really strong, so I want to concentrate on my shots and putting.
--This is a preliminary match for the majors, so what do you want to focus on this week?
I would like to work hard this week as well, first to check how I am doing, so that I can be as confident as I was last week.
◇Miyu Yamashita
What are your impressions of this week's course?
The rough was quite deep, the deepest it's been this year. The wind was strong and the conditions were great, so I got the impression that the course was set up in a very difficult way.
--You've had a string of consecutive games, how are you feeling?
I think I'm in pretty good shape. I think the rest is about course management and making the birdie putts I want to make.
--There seem to be a few holes where the tee shot is important, but looking at the course as a whole, what do you think will be the key points?
There are many doglegs (fairways that bend sharply in the middle) and the fairways are narrow, so you have to be careful not to hit the ball in places you can't miss. Because it's narrow, I think it's a course that tests the accuracy of your shots, and how you can recover from your short game will also be important.
What does green feel like?
The greens are fast, have a steep slope and some ups and downs, so I think that's what makes them difficult.
--This is a preview of the majors, so how do you want to play this week?
I feel like the weather is changing quite a bit, so I'll do my best to be in good condition so that I can play calmly despite the weather.
◇Akinori Iwai
--What are your impressions of the course now that you've played around it?
It's beautiful. I only remember parts of it, but there are some holes with a lot of ups and downs, and some holes where you can't see the pin or where to land the ball, so I think it's important to adjust the distance in those situations.
--There are quite a lot of rough and sticky areas.
The rough this week is just like that, so if I go in there it will result in a bogey, so I want to make sure I manage it properly.
--Is it a plus that there are a lot of par 5s here (5 holes)?
Yes, the only places where I can get birdies are on par 5s, so I'll do my best to make sure I get some.
--Do you have any goals for this tournament?
I don't really have any ranking-wise goals, but I think I'll just give it my all each and every day, with each shot.
◇ Chirei Iwai
--You've had a string of races in a row, but what are your impressions having played on this course?
I've only played half the course so far, but there was one really long par 3 that was difficult for me (laughs). When I finished, I was in a good spot and was able to finish with a par, so I was happy.
--The rough seems to be pretty thick. What are the conditions like on the course?
Yes, I'm improving. But the fairway is sloping from the tee shot, so there are many holes where it's easy to get into the rough, so I think it's better to be careful and stay on the fairway and get a good balance.
--You finished with an eagle on the final day last week, so it seems like you've been in good form coming into this tournament. How do you feel?
The weather was pretty tough, so I couldn't get any birdies. But I didn't give up and kept going until the end, and I was lucky to get an eagle. I think it was the result of not giving up.
--It's the week before the major. How do you want to compete this week?
The wind is strong this week and today, so I think we will be playing in a variety of conditions, and I believe I will be able to make some good plays that will be useful next week, so I would like to focus and do my best this week.
◇Nasa Hataoka
--I'm sure you're already very familiar with this week's course, but how do you feel now that you're back?
It's been a year since I've been here in 2023, but the greens are quite hard this year and even the first bounce causes the ball to bounce quite hard, so I have to be careful even with short clubs and aim for those spots.
--What do you think are the key points to getting to the top?
I think it depends on how hard the wind is blowing, but I think you have to get it in a good spot on the green, and well, I think it's the second shot.
--Even when you play a practice round, how do you judge the distance of the second shot and the wind?
It's been pretty windy these past two days, so I just have the impression that it's unstoppable, but I hope I can catch the wind well and attack well.
--It's the week before the majors. How do you want to fight this week?
My shots are good, so I want to be able to putt with more confidence. I think it's the putter that decides the chance, so I'd like to improve in that area.
*WOWOW will broadcast the Mayer LPGA Classic live every day. The first day (June 13th) will be broadcast live on WOWOW Live from 4am, the second day (14th) and the third day (15th) from 4am each day, and the final day (16th) from 2am. In addition, WOWOW On Demand will broadcast a live "Japanese Players Only Camera" that focuses on Japanese players (the first day will be broadcast from 9:25pm on the 12th).
