2022 Toto Japan Classic (Nov 03 - 06)

[JungleJimbo]

14 minutes ago, Christen_The_Sloop said:

Lot of really nice ladies out here. 

 

 

hoping you get good weather & a nice day out with your gals!

..p/s: one pic appears  upside-down ...  

 

Japanese players dominating early!

https://www.lpga.com/tournaments/toto-japan-classic/leaderboard

 

Edited November 3, 2022 by JungleJimbo

[Cwebb]

I just now heard that Atthaya Thitikul has the #1 world ranking.  Wow that was quick.  I knew she was a very consistent player and thought she'd get into the top 5 soon after coming to the big tour, but damn, she's already at the top.  Great focus from a young player, to be on so many leader boards

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

1 hour ago, JungleJimbo said:

hoping you get good weather & a nice day out with your gals!

..p/s: one pic appears  upside-down ...  

 

Japanese players dominating early!

https://www.lpga.com/tournaments/toto-japan-classic/leaderboard

 

 

I'm a bit further South and West than @Christen_The_Sloop, but it's a beautiful day today all over West Japan.

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

2 hours ago, Christen_The_Sloop said:

Lot of really nice ladies out here. 

 

Looks great. Who's that teeing off in the third shot?

 

I hope there are also plenty of tasty food stalls and stuff. It's warm enough today for some cold nihonshu, which I find tastes even better outdoors🙂

[JungleJimbo]

13 minutes ago, No_Catchy_Nickname said:

 

I'm a bit further South and West than @Christen_The_Sloop, but it's a beautiful day today all over West Japan.

Wouldn't have expected Shibuno and Hataoka to be near the bottom of leaderboard... uphill battle to play the weekend?

 

 

 

A Homecoming for ‘Smiling Cinderella’ Shibuno at TOTO Japan Classic

lpga.com/news/2022/a-homecoming-for-smiling-cinderella-shibuno-at-toto-japan-classic

01 Nov 2022

Topic:

• TOTO JAPAN CLASSIC
• Hinako Shibuno
• Tournament News

Hinako Shibuno of Japan shakes hands with her caddie after holing out on the 18th green during the final round of the TOTO Japan Classic at Seta Golf Course North Course on November 10, 2019 in Otsu, Shiga, Japan.

Photo Credit: Matt Roberts/Getty Images



Written By: LPGA Communications @LPGA

 



Hinako Shibuno said she made it her goal to represent her country at the TOTO Japan Classic as an LPGA Tour Member. Shibuno played in the event in 2020 and 2021 as a JLPGA Member, when it was not a co-sanctioned tournament with the LPGA Tour, and finished T30 and T7, respectively. But it was her start in 2019 that seems to stand out from the rest. She finished in a tie for 13th in her third-ever LPGA Tour event, and her second start since she had won her maiden major championship at the AIG Women’s Open. The “Smiling Cinderella,” a 2022 Tour rookie after qualifying through 2021 LPGA Q-Series, is back at Seta Golf Course from what seems like a lifetime ago for the now 23-year-old from Okayama.

 

“When I played this tournament in 2019, most members from the US were not familiar with me. I only knew some of them whom I saw on TV,” said Shibuno to media on Tuesday. “However, I know most of the players for this year. So, I could say ‘Welcome to Japan’ to them.”

 

Shibuno, who ranks No. 33 in the Race to the CME Globe after five top-10 finishes this season, has found her stride as of late in her play on both the LPGA and JLPGA.

 

Shibuno, who missed four cuts in five events during the month of September on the LPGA Tour, turned it around in October with a tie for eighth at the LPGA MEDIHEAL Championship and a T19 result at the BMW Ladies Championship. She’s more recently coming off a week on the JLPGA at the Mitsubishi Electric/Hisako Higuchi Ladies Golf Tournament, where she secured a T9 finish, her first top-10 result on the JLPGA since her start in the 2021 TOTO. Shibuno, who said she remembers playing Seta Golf Course in her junior golf days, will be focused on putting this week, and hopes to carry her momentum from last week in Saitama to another opportunity on Tour in Shiga.

 

“The slope on the green is pretty tight. this week,” said Shibuno. “So, it might be a key to have uphill putting as much as possible.”

Comments

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Copyright © LPGA 2022. All Rights Reserved.

 

 

[18majors]

33 minutes ago, JungleJimbo said:

uphill battle to play the weekend?

 

They're safe, it's a no-cut event.

[18majors]

 

This attendance puts LPGA, KLPGA and WTA to shame:

 

 

[Raving Shanker]

Now some pics of Maria looking for lost balls!

Edited November 3, 2022 by Raving Shanker

[Raving Shanker]

I am finding the coverage bordering on unbearable. Can Kate please learn how to pronounce Hah-Tah-Oh-Kah? Can they show some golf? To all you people who complain about Morgan Pressel; she is a genius compared to this lot.

[iBanesto]

Ai Suzuki's putting stroke is quite unique.

 

 

[iBanesto]

 

 

 

 

 

 

[JungleJimbo]

13 minutes ago, iBanesto said:

 

@iBanesto Guessing that's Lee6 next to Shibuno?

 

 

"2022年 TOTOジャパンクラシック 初日 渋野日向子 イ・ジョンウン6

渋野日向子はイ・ジョンウン6と同組でプレー"

https://news.golfdigest.co.jp/lpga/7509/photo/detail/?imageId=290755 

[iBanesto]

5 minutes ago, JungleJimbo said:

@iBanesto Guessing that's Lee6 next to Shibuno?

 

 

"2022年 TOTOジャパンクラシック 初日 渋野日向子 イ・ジョンウン6

渋野日向子はイ・ジョンウン6と同組でプレー"

https://news.golfdigest.co.jp/lpga/7509/photo/detail/?imageId=290755 

 

[pmcuk]

Beautiful course, really pretty.

 

This is pretty much an Asian field - looks like they have this course figured out.

 

Not many non-Asians, maybe they were wise to give it a miss in terms of risk-reward. 

[Christen_The_Sloop]

The course was beautiful. I've played the other two courses they have and this one looks to be, far and away, the most impressive. Funny how that goes. I like the other one's but, from what I saw of this one, yeah. Looks like really fun.

 

As I was leading my almost 6 year old and 3 1/2 year old, seeing a lot of golf was going to be hard. I'm shocked how much my oldest walked today and she's still going. My youngest was manageable, but I had her up on my shoulders for about 60% of the time.

 

Mostly, we sat between the 3rd and 16th greens watching approaches - eating mikans, pistachios and chocolate chip cookies. We saw the featured groups come through and the followed the last two big groups into the house.

 

Yuka Saso's strike was easily the most impressive. However, our favorite golfer now is probably Maria Fassi. She hit her drive in the right rough on 6 (I think it was) and we just happened to be walking toward it from the green. As she was walking to her ball I heard her say something to her caddy like, I almost hit those poor girls.

 

We were right next to her ball and no one was around and I said to my little girl, "What do you think of her dress?" And my daughter said. "It's cool! I like green!" And as we waited she pulled out a couple balls and signed them for my girls. Then she hit a good one. So, that made my day.

 

 

 

[tacklingdummy]

On 10/31/2022 at 6:53 AM, No_Catchy_Nickname said:

 

I've been to that Toto museum. It really is the shi...nevermind.

 

No, I've actually been to it, and it's surprisingly interesting. 

 

 

Yeah, I have been there too in 2019. Pretty interesting. Japan definitely takes their toilets and bidets very seriously. 😄 I wonder if the winner will get to ride into the sunset on the Toto motorcycle. 😂

 

 

[Argonne69]

Interesting leaderboard tp say the least. The JLPGA players came ready to play. 

 

[8602081]

Almost half of the players represent Japanese..  How many exemptions do they get?

 

I counted like 33-34 out of 77 are Japanese..

Edited November 3, 2022 by 8602081

[AWinfortheAges]

7 minutes ago, 8602081 said:

Almost half of the players represent Japanese..  How many exemptions do they get?

 

I counted like 33-34 out of 77 are Japanese..

It's been that way in the six years I've watched it (minus covid years). It's a co-sanctioned event, JLPGA/ LPGA. The BMW was that way as well in past years with half the field being from the KLPGA.

[8602081]

2 hours ago, AWinfortheAges said:

It's been that way in the six years I've watched it (minus covid years). It's a co-sanctioned event, JLPGA/ LPGA. The BMW was that way as well in past years with half the field being from the KLPGA.

 

Has to be co-sanctioned..

 

BMW had 20 Koreans, but most are already member of LPGA..  I would say about 5 are from KLGPA..

 

[woahnelly]

1 hour ago, 8602081 said:

 

Has to be co-sanctioned..

 

BMW had 20 Koreans, but most are already member of LPGA..  I would say about 5 are from KLGPA..

 

 

BMW decided not to give klpga players exemptions this year. Not sure if was the LPGA or klpga doing. I believe Minsol Kim and the other amateur were the only non lpga Koreans in the field. 

[Kaysquare]

I'm trying to watch this tournament I recorded, but again, the female announcers are making it difficult with their constant chatter.  The course looks beautiful, & after watching a half hour or so I've yet to see an American player.  But....I have seen the commercial with the guy fighting himself on every break, been sick of it for several years now.  My mute button is worn out.  🤣

[AKL Kiwi]

3 hours ago, Kaysquare said:

I'm trying to watch this tournament I recorded, but again, the female announcers are making it difficult with their constant chatter.  The course looks beautiful, & after watching a half hour or so I've yet to see an American player.  But....I have seen the commercial with the guy fighting himself on every break, been sick of it for several years now.  My mute button is worn out.  🤣

We had to endure 10 minutes at the start of Kate and her offsider wafting on before they switched to the play...my remote got an instant mute till then too...at least we did not see them again during play and the coverage stopped at 7.10pm so we got an extra 10 minutes at the end. Our Sky TV coverage never has commercial breaks unless the live feed stops which is the case when we have to use the GC feed for US tournaments although the men's PGA coverage never has commercial breaks in it just the LPGA and Champions tour feeds which we also get from the GC. Having watched all 4 hours 10 minutes of the coverage all I remember seeing was a few shots by Emma Talley so of the few Americans playing that's all you got...

[Argonne69]

I miss the metallic cup liners. Lol. 

 

Who's this Hatayoka player? 

 

Ai has a very unorthodox putting stance. Looks like she's standing off the green she's so far away from the ball. Maybe Minjee should try it. Oof. 

 

It's been a while since Momoko teed it up on the LPGA. 2013 I believe. She was a rookie on the tour in 2008, and won twice. 

 

Edited November 3, 2022 by Argonne69

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

14 hours ago, tacklingdummy said:

 

 

Yeah, I have been there too in 2019. Pretty interesting. Japan definitely takes their toilets and bidets very seriously. 😄 I wonder if the winner will get to ride into the sunset on the Toto motorcycle. 😂

 

 

 

That's a crap bike!

[AWinfortheAges]

On 11/3/2022 at 7:41 PM, Argonne69 said:

I miss the metallic cup liners. Lol. 

 

 

They went from the metallic ping last event to zero sound this week.

 

[AWinfortheAges]

I've watched several instructional and promotional videos on YouTube featuring Momoko Ueda on YouTube. All were in Japanese. I was pleasantly surprised in her post round 1 interview that she speaks English very well. 

 

I still have no idea how fluent Ha Neul Kim and Bo Mee Lee are in english. I'm  going to assume they both narrate books in english on Audible during the off season. 

[iBanesto]

L. Grant only 4 behind.

 

🇸🇪

 

She has been very consistent on the LPGA Tour this year with 3 top 10 finishes in only 5 events.

 

 

 

[Argonne69]

Slow and steady by Momoko, but there are 11 chasers within 5 shots of the lead, including four LPGA regulars. Should be a decent finish. However, the low scores are rare out there, so the chasers at -10 are going to have to put together excellent rounds.

 

Gemma has only one top 10 this season, so I'm not sure if she can put together another low round, but it wouldn't shock me if we had another first time winner. 

 

[Joselo]

Linn grant, im a fan