The Standard Portland Classic, a tournament on the LPGA Tour, will kick off on August 15th (Japan time) at Columbia Edgewater CC in Oregon, and will be broadcast and streamed live every day on WOWOW.
Previous victories at this tournament include Ayako Okamoto in 1986, Ai Miyazato in 2010, and Mika Miyazato in 2012. Nine Japanese players will be competing this year, including Minami Katsu, who placed second at this year's AIG Women's British Open, Reo Takeda, who placed fourth, as well as Akemi Iwai and her sister Chirei, and Hinako Shibuno. Ahead of the start of the tournament, they spoke about their enthusiasm in an interview with WOWOW. This will be presented in two parts.
◇Reo Takeda
--It's been a week since the AIG Women's British Open. How have you been spending it?
I had some friends in LA, so I spent a week there.
--Did you get to refresh yourself a bit in LA and practice golf?
I don't play golf much, but I went to a baseball game, which I've always wanted to go to. I even got to see Shohei Ohtani hit a home run, so it was really fun.
-What are your impressions of this week's course?
The greens are soft, so wedges tend to bounce back quite a bit, but I feel like the greens have some speed, so I'll have to be careful of that when I play.
--This course has produced some pretty good scores every year, but what do you think are the key points to getting a birdie?
There are a few short par 5s that offer good chances, so I think if I can get some birdies there, things will start to go my way.
--The season is coming to an end, what are your goals?
My time in the majors is over, but I still have games left in America, and the Asia Series in October, so I'd like to work hard again for those.
◇Akinori Iwai
-What are your impressions of this week's course?
I love how the fairways and greens are so beautiful.
--There are quite a few trees and docks, so in your case, there may be some holes where you don't use a driver for the tee shot. How do you plan to manage this?
There are some holes where it's risky to use a driver due to the distance, so I might have to use a 5-wood or 5-iron, but I'll just manage it well. The wind doesn't seem to be that strong this week, so I think it will be a relatively easy match to aim for the pin.
--Every year this course becomes a birdie battle, but what do you think are the key points?
It's all about shots and putting. I think the players who hit the ball all the way to the pin and are aggressive with putting will be the ones who rank higher.
--The season is coming to an end, what are your goals?
There are probably about 10 games left, but my goal this year is to win, so I think I still have a chance and I want to stay focused and do my best in each and every game.
◇ Chirei Iwai
--It's been a week since the AIG Women's British Open. How have you been spending it?
I'm back in Japan, and it's been a week of training, eating with friends, and just relaxing.
--This week's course has trees and some dogleg holes. What are your impressions?
It's flat, but the rough is sticky and tricky. I also get the impression that it's difficult to recover when you miss the green. The greens are also quite fast.
--Every year, the scores on this course increase, but what do you think are the key points?
It's a par 5. There are a few fairly short holes, so I think the key is to get a good flow on your second shot and aim for birdies.
--How have you been feeling since the start of this week?
My condition is a little off. I'm currently trying to find my swing, so I'll do my best and have fun, hoping to hit some good shots during the match.
--The season is coming to an end, what goals do you want to achieve as you go?
My goal now is to move up the world rankings even just a little.
◇ Yuka Sasao
--You're in Portland this week. How does it feel to be back on the course after such a long time?
Well, nothing has changed and the condition is still great, so I'm looking forward to it.
--The greens looked pretty fast, how do you feel about the conditions there?
I think it's fast.
--The greens have undulations and some poanas, so how do you think about managing them?
Of course, I want to hit good shots, but there aren't many holes that are too tricky or complicated, so I don't think you need to think about it too hard.
--The season is coming to an end and there are about 10 games left. What are your goals for playing?
I will do my best and do my best in each and every game.
◇ Hinako Shibuno
--I'm sure you've played this course many times, but what are your impressions of it now?
It's a really beautiful course, and the greens are much faster than those at the AIG Women's British Open, so it's hard to get the distance right.
--This course is improved every year, but what do you think are the key points?
I want to aim more carefully since the shots will stop, and I hope that my batting will come in.
--How are your shots feeling since you started playing on the course this week?
Well, I guess it will be a normal match and we'll see how it goes. I hope it won't be too bad.
--The season is coming to an end, but what are your goals for playing?
Since it's really unclear whether I'll get a seed, I'll do my best to aim for a high ranking and earn plenty of points.
*The Standard Portland Classic will be broadcast live on WOWOW Live and WOWOW On Demand from midnight on the first (August 15th) and second (16th) days, from 7am on the third (17th), and from 5am on the final day (18th). WOWOW On Demand will also have a "Japanese Players Only Camera" that will focus on the play of Japanese players.
