The LPGA Women's Golf Tour's CME Group Tour Championship kicked off on November 21 (Japan time) at Tiburon Golf Club in Florida, USA, and will be broadcast live daily on WOWOW. This tournament has been the final tournament of the tour since 2011, and the winner will receive the largest prize money in women's golf history of $4 million (approximately 600 million yen) and the title of "Race to CME Globe Champion."
The Japanese participants include Miyu Yamashita, who won Rookie of the Year at the US annual Rolex LPGA Awards, along with Reo Takeda, who won in her rookie year, Akemi Iwai and her sister Chirei, Mao Saigo, who won the major Chevron Championship, Nasa Hataoka, who won her seventh victory at the Toto Japan Classic, as well as Minami Katsu and Ayaka Furue, making it the largest number of Japanese players ever to take part. Ahead of the tournament, WOWOW has released interviews with the Japanese players. The interviews will be presented in two parts.
◇Mao Saigo
--This week will be the last tournament of the year, so looking back on the past year, how do you feel?
The year really went by in a flash, and I was able to have so many different experiences, so I feel like I've grown a lot in this year.
--This is your second time on this course this week, following last year. Last year you were under a lot of pressure because you had the Rookie of the Year award on the line. How does it feel to be back here again?
I think I'll be able to concentrate more this year, and I have the feeling that the course conditions are easier than last year, so I think the settings will make it easier to improve my score.
--Every year this match is a battle of wills, but what do you think are the key points?
This is true for par 5s where you can easily make the shot without missing any, but the greens are quite steep and the pin position can vary, so I think it's important to manage these situations well and avoid making bogeys.
--If you win this tournament, you'll get $4 million. What would you like to spend it on?
There's nothing in particular I want, so I think I'll save up.
--Please tell us your enthusiasm for the final tournament of the season.
I will do my best to continue playing in a way that I am satisfied with for the next four days.
◇ Chirei Iwai
--You recently appeared on stage at the Rolex Awards. Can you tell us your thoughts about it?
The atmosphere felt like it was overseas, and I was happy to be there.
--This year seems to have flown by in a flash, but how do you feel looking back on it?
First of all, I'm glad I was able to win, and it also made me realize that I want to train more consistently and spend more time playing golf.
--You just played a practice round, but what are your impressions of this week's course?
It's spacious, and there's a pond and the grass is very American-style, so I got the impression that it could be further developed.
-What do you think are the key points to getting to the top?
I got a birdie on the par 5, and although the green wasn't that fast, I think it was important to hit it exactly on the second shot and putt aggressively.
--The final race is finally here. How would you like to end 2025?
I definitely want to win, and I want more people overseas to know about Iwai Chirei.
◇Katsu Minami
--It's finally the final race, but has this season felt long? Or has it gone by in a flash?
It felt like the final race was still in the middle of the season, and although it feels like that every year, it really made me realize how quickly a year goes by.
-You've said since the beginning of the season that you wanted to take part in this tournament, so how do you feel now that you've been able to take part?
I really feel that it's special to be here, and I'm glad I did. I was able to bring my grandfather with me, so it feels even more real.
--What are your impressions of this week's course?
I felt that this golf course looked completely different from the way it looked from the tee and the impression it left when you left the tee and onto the fairway. There were some holes where you had to think carefully about how to attack, so I thought it was a course that really managed those aspects as well.
--The final game is this week, but what was the 2025 season like for you, Katsu?
It was a career-high year, but the fact that I didn't win is a huge disappointment for me, so I think it was a year with both good and disappointing aspects.
--This will be the last year, so how would you like to end it?
Of course, I want to win, so I'll do my best to aim for a high ranking.
◇Ayaka Furue
--The final race is finally here, but what kind of year has it been for you, Furue?
I think there were a lot of things that weren't very good.
--Despite all that, you managed to secure a spot in the final race, so please tell us again about your impressions of this course.
I think it's a difficult course, with many ponds, trees that make the tee shot feel quite narrow, and if you miss the green, it goes far away.
--Every year you try to improve each other, but what do you think are the key points to getting to the top?
I think there will be some wind on this course, so I hope to read that carefully and be able to maneuver well.
--If you had $4 million, what would you buy?
I'd like to travel around the world at Disneyland. I've been to Tokyo, LA, and Florida, so I'd like to go to Paris, Hong Kong, Shanghai, etc.
--The 2025 season is finally coming to an end, but how would you like to end it?
I want to finish without any regrets, so I hope to move up in a good position for next year, so I will do my best and hope to move up again in the rankings.
*The CME Group Tour Championship will be broadcast live every day on WOWOW. It will be broadcast live and streamed live on WOWOW Live and WOWOW On Demand from 4:00 AM on the first day (November 21st), second day (22nd), and third day (23rd), and from 3:00 AM on the final day (24th). WOWOW On Demand will also have a "camera dedicated to Japanese players" to live stream the play of Japanese players. It will start at 12:35 AM on the first day.
