The Japan LPGA Championship Konica Minolta Cup starts on 7th September at Appi Kogen Golf Club (6,640 yard/par71), Hachimantai-City, Iwate. This is the women’s major championship. And this year, it cerebrates the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Ladies Professional Golfers’ Association of Japan(LPGA) this year.50th LPGA Championship Konica Minolta cup
At the press conference held in Tokyo on 21th August, Commissioner Hiromi Kobayashi announced that this prestigious tournament with history would be more excellent. And then emphasized three specific points.
The first is for restoration assistance following the Great East Japan Earthquake. She said, “This is the first LPGA Championship to be held in Iwate. We have been organizing support activities. Please come and see the great play of women’s professional on the Golf Course.”
The second is to head for the most prestigious tournament of all the tournaments in Asia. She said, “Total purse has increased by ￥60million to reach￥200million.It has been the most expensive in LPGA history. Winner’s prize has also gone up by ￥10.8million to ￥36million.Now here in Japan players with different nationalities are playing, I would like to send all over the world a specific message LPGA will lead the field in Asia. We are going to position the winner of this tournament as the top player not in Japan but in Asia.”
And the last is that LPGA will have popularity all over the world. She added, “We want to get more fans abroad, besides in Japan. This is the 50th anniversary of LPGA and then we want more people to be aware of our players’ greatness. So we open up the official website in English to offer much information.”
They set up this course definitely tougher. Tournament Executive Director Kaori Harada said, “Golf equipment gets always better. Distance is in particular amazing us. So we have set this course par 71.That should be the setting you have never seen in LPGA.”
Ayako Okamoto, who is the person in charge for the setting of this course, “When I went there last week to check in advance, the course condition was amazing. The winner would reach double figures, because some of greens are small and not that undulating. A player who is good at short irons or putting will have the possibility to win, I think. Long distance would be in advantageous, but she won’t necessarily make a lower score, because we paid much attention to control of the widths of the fairways.”
Ai Suzuki intends to win consecutive Japan LPGA Championship, which no one has attained since Hisako Higuchi. She attended the press conference, wearing a suit like a business woman. She said, “I feel like being an OL (office worker).I don’t go to a hotel often to meet the press. This is an inspiring experience to me.” She took a week off last week, which was to prepare for this tournament, she revealed. “I didn’t hit a ball for more than a week, but went often work out. That is because I need the best physical condition before this tournament. The two tournaments before last week I played. I will hit a shot absolutely positively, which will bring me a better result.” “I win this,” she continued, looking at the winner’s trophy near to her. If she wins this tournament, it will be for the third times for her to win consecutive tournament victories. “I will definitely win. I will do my best.”
