The LPGA Women's Golf Tour's "Annika Driven by Gainbridge at Pelican" kicked off on November 14th (Japan time) at Pelican Golf Club in Florida, USA, and will be broadcast live daily on WOWOW. With just two tournaments remaining this season, 12 Japanese players, including Miyu Yamashita, Mao Saigo, Reo Takeda, Ayaka Furue, Akie Iwai and her sister Chirei, and Hinako Shibuno, will be competing in this big tournament with a total prize money of $3.25 million. Ahead of the tournament, the Japanese players spoke of their enthusiasm.
◇ Chirei Iwai
--I imagine the weather wasn't very good last week (at the Toto Japan Classic), so could you reflect on your own performance?
The fourth day was cancelled, but I think I played well up until the third day. I gradually got better at golf towards the final day, and since it was in Japan there were a lot of spectators, and the food was delicious, so it was a really fun week.
-What are your impressions of this week's course?
The green is really tricky and if you miss it to the back it's fast, so I imagine it's very difficult.
-How is your condition and the feeling of your shots since the start of this week?
My shots were good today, and I think my putting distance was good too.
--There are two games left, is there anything you want to keep in mind?
Nothing in particular, but I want to stick to the same routine and not give up until the end so that I can make it to the top.
-Finally, please tell us your enthusiasm for this week.
I'll try to work at my own pace this week too.
◇Yoshida Yuri
--You'll be playing back-to-back matches after Japan, so how are you feeling?
I think I'm in better shape than I thought I would be.
--I thought the weather would be warm, but it's surprisingly cold. What do you think?
I had been expecting it to be much hotter, and although I had planned to practice yesterday morning, it was so cold that I had to postpone it a bit.
--Looking back on last week's match in Japan, what do you think?
My golf game wasn't bad, but I just wasn't hitting the right notes. I haven't had a big score recently, so I'd like to get things going this week.
--This season is coming to an end, but is there anything you want to keep in mind this week?
I haven't been putting well lately, so of course it would be better if I could make some, but I would like to continue putting in a way that I can be satisfied with.
--Please tell us about your enthusiasm for this tournament.
It's really the very last minute, and I'm in a position where I have to aim for the top 60 this week, so it's a high goal, but I want to play the best golf I can.
◇ Hinako Shibuno
--It's been a while since you last visited the US mainland. How has your time been so far?
I came here after a week off after playing in four matches in Japan.
-Did playing in Japan help you refresh yourself?
I ate a lot of delicious food, had conversations with many players, and with more spectators than usual, I think I was able to experience a variety of emotions.
-How do you feel about your own shots?
I don't think I'm doing so badly, but if the match goes on as usual I'll end up tense up unnecessarily, so I'll try my best to keep that in check.
--The season is now reaching its climax, so please tell us if there is anything you would like to focus on this week.
There are many things to be conscious of, and there are many points that concern me, but I hope I can focus only on what I really need to do.
-Finally, please tell us your enthusiasm for this week.
I will do my best to aim higher and get a seed.
◇ Saki Baba
-First of all, can you look back on last week's TOTO (Japan Classic)?
Although the final day of last week's tournament was cancelled, it was a lot of fun to be able to play in Japan for the first time in a while for three days.
--You're in Florida this week, and it's probably colder than you expected. How's that going?
On Tuesday when we started practice, it was really cold, almost colder than in Japan, which surprised me a bit.
--What are your impressions of this week's course?
The green and the area around it had a steep slope, and there were some places where the slope was steep on the side of the green and some places where the ball dropped off very far, so I thought that was difficult.
--What do you think are the key points to getting to the top?
I realized some very important things, like how to have a good attitude, so I hope I can continue to work on those things.
-Finally, please tell us your enthusiasm for this week.
I will do my best to achieve good results.
*... "Annika Driven by Gainbridge at Pelican" will be broadcast live every day on WOWOW. The first day (November 14th) and second day (15th) will be broadcast from midnight, and the third day (16th) and final day (17th) will be broadcast from 3:30am on WOWOW Live and WOWOW On Demand. WOWOW On Demand will also have a "Japanese Players Only Camera" that focuses on the play of Japanese players, which will be broadcast live. The first day will be broadcast from 2:25am.
