Akemi Iwai, who is in good form, is looking forward to the LPGA Tour's "FM Championship." 13 Japanese players are competing (Part 2)

The LPGA Women's Golf Tour's "FM Championship" kicks off on August 29th (Japan time) at TPC Boston in Massachusetts, USA, and will be broadcast live daily on WOWOW. All 13 Japanese players, including Miyu Yamashita, Mao Saigo, Reo Takeda, Akie Iwai and her sister Chirei, who have all won tournaments on overseas tours this season, as well as Nasa Hataoka and Hinako Shibuno, will be competing. Ahead of the tournament's opening, WOWOW has released interviews with the Japanese players.

◇Akinori Iwai

--You won in Portland and were in contention for the championship last week, so you're on a great run this week. How do you feel about it?

It's neither good nor bad (lol), it just feels the same as usual.

-What are your impressions of this week's course?

I thought the course was quite tricky. The greens were quite fast and had some undulations, and although the course itself was very beautiful, I got the impression that I had to carefully aim my tee shot.

--The rough has been getting longer since last week, and the greens are both small and large, so what do you think will be the key points?

I get asked this a lot, but it's all of them. Hit your tee shot in a good spot, and your iron shot depends on the pin position, but if you don't hit it on the same level, you might hit a bump. I think hitting your second shot as close to the pin as possible is the key, or rather, it's necessary to get a birdie.

--I think the way you approach par 5s will change depending on the wind direction, but how do you think about this in terms of management?

Par 5s tend to have ponds, hazards, or other obstacles, so it's all about the distance. If it's a reasonable distance, I'll go for it, but if it's close, I'll lay up, so I think it's best to discuss how to manage that with your caddy.

-Finally, please tell us your enthusiasm for this week.

I'll do my best while having fun!

◇ Chirei Iwai

--It seems like the rough draft has made solid progress this week, just like last week. What do you think about that?

The grass was pretty long last week, and I think the quality of the grass will be different this week too, but both were long, so I think I had good practice last week, so I'll use that feeling this week. I also had good chipping practice last week, so I'll use that to my advantage.

--I think there are a few par 5 holes this week where you can get on in two. What do you think?

I couldn't reach it during the practice round, so if I can aim for it with the wind or the position of the tee ground, I'd like to go for it.

--What do you think are the key points to coming in at the top of this week's course?

This week there are some fairly large mounds and big slopes on the green, so I think it's all about hitting from a good line.

--So, please tell us your enthusiasm for this week's tournament.

I'll do my best at my own pace!

◇Mao Saigo

--You had a great finish (3rd place) in last week's match. How do you feel about it?

Last week, my shots improved little by little over the four days of the match, so I think I played really well in that sense.

--The atmosphere of the course has changed completely this week. What are your impressions of the course?

I think the greens are in good condition, and the away course is firmer than last week, so it's fairly easy to get distance off the tee shots, and I don't think I'll be forced to use very long clubs.

--Last year you made a solid move on the final day and were in a good position, but how do you feel your condition is compared to last year?

The course feels the same as last year, but I'm holding shorter clubs than last year, so in that sense I think I'll have a lot more birdie chances. I remember getting off to a slow start on the first day last year, so if I can improve my score from the first day, I think I'll be able to play better than last year.

-Finally, please tell us your enthusiasm for this week.

This week I will do my best to play in a way that I can be satisfied with.

◇Nasa Hataoka

--The Boston tournament is finally here. First of all, please tell us your impressions of the tournament.

Just like last week, the rough is still quite tangled, so I think the key will be to stay on the fairway.The green is large and has undulations, so I'd like to first make sure I can get a birdie chance from the fairway.

--You've had consecutive matches since last week, but how do you feel about your shots this week?

I've made some adjustments this week, so now I just need to make sure I put them to good use on the course.

--I think this course is more about management than mutual improvement, but what did you feel were the key points?

Unlike last week, there were some par 5s that I was able to get, but there were quite a few problems around the greens, so I think it would be good if I could do a good job of attacking in some areas and saving par in others.

-Finally, please tell us your enthusiasm for this week.

This is the first tournament since last year, and I have the impression that the scores are quite high, so I will do my best to keep up with the development of the competition.

◇Yoshida Yuri

--The tournament is in Boston this week. What are your impressions of the course?

Just like last year, I was impressed by how bouncy and fast the greens were.

-How have your shots and putts felt since the start of this week?

It's different every day, there are days when it's good and days when I wish it was a little better, so it's not perfect after all, but I do feel like I'm definitely making progress.

--There's not much time left this season. What do you want to focus on from now on?

I would like to improve the accuracy of my shots a little more, and I would like to improve the accuracy of my putting and make more mid-range putts.

--Please tell us your enthusiasm for this week.

This is my third game in three consecutive weeks, and I think my condition is improving with each passing week, so I'll do my best and hope that one day I can get a good score and achieve a big score!

*The FM Championship will be broadcast live on WOWOW Prime and WOWOW On Demand from 4:00 AM every day from the first day (August 29th) to the final day (September 1st). WOWOW On Demand will also have a "Japanese Players Only Camera" that focuses on the play of Japanese players.