It has been announced that the "strongest female professional team," including Mizutani Yutaka, Oguri Shun, Koizumi Kotaro, Hiromi, and Aiba Kotaro Koizumi , will appear in the "Golf Showdown" of the special program "New Year's Dream Battle 2026: Kinashi Noritake's Sports KING!" (TV Asahi, broadcast from Shun Oguri pm on January 2, 2026), in which Kinashi Noritake of the comedy duo "Tunnels" produces a "dream sports showdown."
Mizutani, dressed in the costume of Sugishita Ukyo from the TV drama "Aibou" (same channel, Wednesday 9pm), said, "I kept saying 'this year is my last,' but it's been three years in a row..." and looked somewhat pleased. Meanwhile, Oguri was enthusiastic, saying, "This is my only regular program!" Also joining the cast will be baseball legend Matsuzaka Daisuke, who Kinashi himself negotiated for an appearance, saying, "I called him and he came all the way from Boston!"
Competing against Kinashi, Mizutani and the rest of the "Team Traveling Partners" will be Hiromi and Aiba from "Aiba Hiromi's Troublesome Car?" (same channel, Thursdays at 7 p.m.). Koizumi, whose eyes sparkle as he declares, "I love golf!", and former Chiba Lotte Marines professional baseball player Satozaki Tomoya, who snorts and declares, "I live for this day!", will take on the challenge.
The "Traveling Team Partners" will also feature three players active on overseas tours: Hinako Shibuno, who won the 2019 Women's British Open; Minami Katsu, who finished second in the same tournament this year, her best major finish to date; and Ayaka Furue, who achieved her first major victory at the 2024 Amundi Evian Championship on the US Women's Tour.
Meanwhile, "Team Aiba Hiromi" will feature both new and old annual queens, including Lee Bo-mi, the money leader in 2015 and 2016, Sakuma Akari, this year's money leader, and Takeda Reo, who joined the US tour this year and became the fastest Japanese player to win in just five tournaments.
After the recording, Hiromi commented, "Nori-chan said she was having trouble on her own, so Aiba-kun and I came to 'solve her problem' (laughs). Aiba-kun said, 'Okay, let's go help her together!' It was a lot of fun. The 'drag drive competition' was also amazing. I think it will make you think, 'If I watch this show, good things are going to happen!' as the new year begins. As for our team, I think everyone really worked hard. I hope you will enjoy seeing the amazing skills of the professionals, and the spirit of the comedians and production staff!"
Aiba said, "I love golf, and it's been a while since I've felt the fresh air of the golf course, so I actually had a great day. In the "Speed Golf Relay," I sprinted at full speed for the first time in a while, so it was really tough (laughs). Don't miss Hiromi's great shots!"
Shibuno commented, "It was a really fun day. 2025 was a tough year, but I think it was a year where I gained some really great experiences. In 2026, I want to be more myself and work hard to aim even higher!" Sakuma said, "I was laughing from the beginning and the recording ended in a flash. I want to come back again! 2025 was a really fulfilling year with my first victory and becoming the annual queen. In 2026, I'll work even harder to win a major!"
