＜Photo：Atsushi Tomura/Getty Images＞
For the 4th Inside Story,I have chosen Momoka Miyake among Rookie Campers. “I’m unknown. Is that fine?” first of all, she said. But she strongly impressed us with a bow tie at the final Qualifying Tournament (QT). “I love it very much and I really decided to put it on the final round. But I had mixed feelings to hear me called a comedian…” she sighed.
On her 5th try, she finally passed the QT to get a license. It was the hardest of all the experience in her life. “Before and after, I had acute gastroenteritis due to stress, but it was harder for me to shot a 40 a first half .The night before I couldn’t stop shivering all over and lost my appetite.But I didn’t want to give up.” She revealed looking back those days. While having trouble. she kept thinking of those who had supported her since she was a child. Eiko Kawanishi is from Kagawa, the same place as Miyake. Kawanishi is the professional golfer of whom Miyake got an autograph for the first time in her life. Besides, Kawanishi often taught her and gave advice about turning to pro.
After graduated from Kagawa Nishi high school, she worked for 1 year as a trainee at Takamuroike Golf Club,Hyogo. “I’m practicing there still now. Members have been very kind to me .Thanks to them. I have come so far. I really won’t forget their kindness, “she said. Now she lives in “Golf Town” Kato-city, where there are as many as 16 golf-courses that is the second most numbers next to Miki-city in Kagawa. Kato-city tourism association established golf-trainee assistance system that was very unique in Japan.
A trainee to pass the first QT is paid ¥20.000 to prepare for the next. When she passed the final QT, it was ¥100.000. Miyake was the first to be applied to this supporting fund. Besides, she is a Kato-city Tourism Ambassador. “I am just a rookie. I really appreciate that. I want to promote Kagawa harder as well as Kato-city. Kagawa is well known to everyone for Sanuki-Udon(Japanese noodle) ,but they often said to me, ‘Where is Kagawa?’. I’m shocked. All I have to do is show a better result and promote Kagawa and Kato as hard as possible,” she emphasized.
"She seems to be a woman of “ Giri to Ninjyo”(moral obligation and sympathy).She looks a girl nowadays, but her heart is like “Yamatonadeshiko”(personification of an idealized Japanese woman).In fact she mumbled hesitatingly, “I’m looking for a company for endorsement to offer me golf clothing. Please write that in the story.if possible.” Her first game in LPGA Tour is DAIO PAPER elleair LADIES OPEN. Prior to this, she would stand out at Step-up-Tour SANYO SHINBUN LADIES CUP(on 15th September)."
