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Okinawa ace heads field for Daikin OrchidBy: Bill Charles Date Posted: 2005-02-25 Ai Miyazato, the teen whiz sweeping the golf world with phenomenal play only days ago in South Africa, will play in the Daikin Orchid Ladies Golf Tournament March 4~6 at the Ryukyu Golf Club. Miyazato, together with 23-year-old teammate Rui Kitada, were the youngest team to ever win the tournament in George, South Africa on The Links, a tricky and treacherous course filled with dunes, bunkers and waist high grasses. The pair lead the entire way, defeating Korea with a three under par 289, two strokes better than their Asian competitors. The 19-year-old Miyazato, from Higashi Village, rolled to the gold medal in ladies golf at the 2002 Asian Games in Busan, Korea before turning attention to the Japan Ladies Professional Golf Association Dunlop Ladies Open. As an amateur, she became the first to win the tournament in 30 years. She turned professional a year ago, first winning the Daikin Orchid Ladies Golf Tournament with a ten under par 206. As she swept to victory on the Okinawa par 72 course as the youngest ever to win, she picked up ¥10,800,000. This year’s Daikin Ladies Golf Tournament has a total purse of 80,000,000. The tournament will be broadcast over Japan’s TBS Television Network, so the entire country can see Okinawa’s sensation at work. Joining Miyazato in the field will be the best amateur player on the circuit, Shinobu Moromi, Junior High School player Mika Miyazato, and 2001 Open Champion Miyuki Shimabukuro. Last year’s Daikin Orchid runnerup, Kaori Higa, will be playing, as will Ai Miyazato’s archrival Sakura Yokomine. Toss in six-time winner Yuri Fudou, 2002 Champion Kasumi Fujii, Yukari Baba and Miyazato’s team partner Rie Kitada, and the action promises to be hot. The Daikin Orchid Tournament has been an Okinawa fixture since 1997, and has always attracted the nation’s cream of the crop. More than 280 volunteers will be working the tournament to insure the Ryukyu Golf Club makes the event as close to perfect as possible. Okinawa’s culture and sports promotion organizations are working the tournament too, enhancing the spotlight on Okinawa. The island orchid industry has donated ¥54,000,000 to promote sports and culture as well, encouraging development that leads to professional sports growth. Officials say the program is both worthwhile and very effective. The Daikin Orchid Ladies Golf Tournament committee this year has invited junior high school students from across Okinawa to watch the play. |
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