LPGA’s rising stars Shin Ji-yai, left, and Ai Miyazato of Japan have geared up for the Kyoraku Cup, the annual Japan-Korea Women’s National Golf Team Match Play Competition, scheduled for Friday and Saturday, in Okinawa, Japan. / Korea Times File |
By Kang Seung-woo
Staff Reporter
South Korean golfers dominated the LPGA Tour this season, winning a total of 11 tournaments.
But after a season of competing against each other, South Korea's best will team up to play for national pride at the Kyoraku Cup, the Japan-Korea Women's National Golf Team Match Play Competition, scheduled for Friday and Saturday at Ryukyu Golf Club in Okinawa, Japan.
Since its inception in 1999, the two neighboring sides have faced each other every year except 2001 and Korea holds a slim 4-1-3 edge.
Last year's event was canceled due to heavy snow on Jeju Island.
This year, Team Korea will field a team of youngsters. The squad, which has been led in the past by LPGA veterans such as Pak Se-ri, Kim Mi-hyun and Grace Park, is now loaded with rising stars like Shin Ji-yai, Choi Na-yeon, Ji Eun-hee, Yoo Sun-young and Kim In-kyung, who all have less than three years of experience on the U.S. women's professional golf circuit.
In addition, Seo Hee-kyung, Ryu So-yeon, Lee Jeong-eun and Lee Bo-mee from the Korea LPGA (KLPGA) and Japan LPGA (JLPGA) players Lee Ji-hee, Jeon Mi-jeong, Song Bo-bae, and Lim Eun-a will round out the roster as Korea seeks its fourth win on Japanese soil.
The Korean players boast some impressive credentials, but their lack of experience could be a handicap.
Among the 13 Korean representatives, five players ― Kim In-kyung, Yoo Sun-young, Lim Eun-a, Lee Jung-eun and Lee Bo-mee ― will be making their first-ever appearances in the series Friday and Seo Hee-kyung and Ryu So-yeon, who were on the team last year, do not have official records because of the cancellation.
That only Lee Ji-hee has a winning record (5-1-3) among those who have played in the event is particularly bad sign.
Shin has managed just one victory to go with three losses and Choi (0-0-1) and Ji (0-0-2) remain winless.
"I have not had a good moment in the tournament,'' said Shin, who has played for her nation since 2006.
"Since I started golfing, I have wept three times and one of those times was after losing twice in the 2007 contest.''
Team Japan has put its full effort into evening the series, reportedly forming its strongest unit ever.
It includes five players who placed in the top-10 on the JLPGA money list: Sakura Yokomine, Shinobu Moromizato, Chie Arimura Miho Koga and Yukari Baba.
In addition, Akiko Fukushima, Yuri Fudo and Yuko Saito will provide veteran poise.
Most notably, Fukushima, who played in the inaugural tournament in 1999, has not dropped a single match, posting seven wins.
And the team will get a huge boost as local LPGA star Ai Miyazato, arguably Japan's best female golfer at the moment, will return to the team after not playing in the event since 2004.
Miyazoto, 24, who has a record of 1-1 in the competition, got her first career win at the Evian Masters in July and finished third on the money list and fourth in scoring average on the LPGA Tour.
The winning team will receive 39 million yen, 3 million for each player, and the Most Valuable Player (MVP) will get a 1 million yen prize.
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