Golf is a Lifelong Sport

The first time we met was when you were 15, wasn't it, Miyazato-san?

That's right.

I received a call saying there was an incredibly strong junior in Okinawa and that they really wanted her to play in the Suntory Ladies Open, which I manage. I was wondering if she would even make the cut, but she passed with flying colors. That was Ai Miyazato.

After she finished her round, I told the TV director we should invite her to the broadcast booth, and she came. She was wearing her junior high school uniform.

I was so nervous that I don't even remember what I said, but I clearly remember you saying to me at the end, "Please become a good golfer."

Thank you. There are many strong golfers in the world, but I believe being respected is a very important element of being a "golfer."

Watching your responses in the broadcast booth and your play, I thought you would likely carry the future of golf on your shoulders, so I said, "Become a good golfer." Someone who becomes a goal for others.

And that's exactly what happened. Currently, the Suntory Ladies is named after you, as the "Ai Miyazato Suntory Ladies Open."

When you were 15, your swing was featured in a magazine, wasn't it?

Yes, she was already famous.

At that time, I was paying attention to your older brother (Yusaku Miyazato Pro). Then, I happened to see your swing in a magazine, thought "That's a great swing," and cut out the photo to practice my own swing.

Really? Thank you very much.

Back then, you couldn't enter tournaments without passing the pro test, but through Mr. Tobari's efforts, you were the first to be able to enter as an amateur, right?

At the time, amateur regulations only allowed us to play in professional matches up to four times a year.

One of those few matches was the Suntory Ladies, and Suntory had a very large amateur quota, setting aside spots for about ten people. I was very grateful for that. It was a very precious opportunity.

Women's professional golf became very glamorous starting from that time. You were the first, weren't you? The conventional image of women's pros changed completely.

I think Miyazato-san was the first female pro that people who don't play golf became interested in. Until then, golf tournaments were only of interest to people who played golf, but people who didn't play started watching on TV and saying the name Ai Miyazato. I think it was a huge turning point for the golf world.

It was the beginning of the prosperity of the women's pro golf world. Now, women's golf is very popular with many star players. That was the catalyst.

At what age did you start wanting to become a professional?

It was around the time I first participated in the Daikin Orchid Ladies Golf Tournament as a junior in 7th grade, won the qualifier, and made it to the main tournament. I got to play with Yuko Moriguchi and Aki Nakano there, and I thought, "Wow, pros are so cool." That was the first time my desire became clear to me.

Later, when you were in your third year of high school in Sendai, you ended up winning the Miyagi TV Cup Dunlop Women's Open, a JLPGA tournament.

At the time, it was a huge deal for a high school senior to win a tournament; it caused quite a stir. You sank a great birdie putt at the end. It left a huge impression on me—how long was that putt?

It was a little under 3 meters.

A high school senior, on the final day, surrounded by a huge gallery, sinks a birdie putt to win. It was wonderful.

You must have nerves of steel (laughs).

No, not at all. I was very nervous, and my hands were shaking.

Did you decide to turn pro before graduating high school?

Just about a month before I won as an amateur, the JLPGA (Japan Ladies Professional Golfers' Association) regulations changed so that if an amateur won, they could receive a one-year seed if they declared professional status within four weeks.

So, my father and I immediately decided I should turn pro because such a big opportunity rarely comes along.

That rule was one that Hisako Higuchi and I created. If a player like you wins as an amateur and then becomes a pro and succeeds, it creates the most excitement, doesn't it? So, Ai Miyazato was the very first person to turn pro under that rule change.

That has become the norm now, hasn't it? Many people have emerged who are active starting as amateurs.

Before you debuted, I created a tournament called the Takara Invitational. Initially, it was held in Kansai, but halfway through, I brought that tournament to the Caledonian Golf Club managed by Mr. Hayakawa, and every year we brought seven or eight LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association) players from the US.

The top pro invitational was glamorous. You produced the whole thing, didn't you, Mr. Tobari?

In America, volunteers help with various things. Mr. Tobari implemented that at Caledonian, gathering local beginner golfers to hold competitions and such. A great many people helped us out.

There were about 300 people. I also gathered local peanut farmers, telling them dozens of times that "your help is vital" because you can't have a good tournament without local support.

The golf course is the most important element when holding a tournament. It's the stage. The biggest reason I asked Mr. Hayakawa was because Caledonian is a one-green course. Many Japanese golf courses have two greens. But among the golf courses considered good worldwide, there are almost no two-green ones. With one green, the target becomes narrower at the end, and there is trouble on both sides of the green. On the other hand, if you make it two greens, it becomes too easy.

Back then, two greens were the standard.

That's right. It's said that golf started 400 or 500 years ago in a style called "links." It began on the coast of Scotland, in places where there were almost no trees or anything.

There is the famous course called St Andrews. That is a public course owned by the St Andrews town council. Normally, a golf course has a designer, for example, Michael Poellot designed Caledonian. But for St Andrews, the brochure says the designer is "Nature."

I didn't know that.

Interesting, isn't it? It's a golf course designed by nature. This means the origin of golf lies in Scotland.

Have you played at St Andrews? It's a mysterious course, isn't it?

Yes. I played there twice in the Women's British Open. The fine undulations that don't come across on TV are truly amazing. Also, the bunkers are really invisible. I've played various links courses, but my impression is that the pot bunkers there are the hardest to see and are everywhere.

The course is very wavy. In the evening, shadows appear and you can see the undulations, but you can't see them during the day. That's why the pros struggle with it. Also, there are holes with two pins on one green.

There are two flags standing on seven of the greens. So, rather than saying "it's a beautiful course" or "it's wonderful," it feels more like "St Andrews is indeed St Andrews."

Yes. That's exactly right.

Some people used to say, "It's like a course on a riverbed. I can't believe a course like that is a golf course."

Someone called it the most famous riverbed course in the world (laughs).

I hit two OBs into the hotel on the 17th at St Andrews (laughs).

That kind of thing is allowed because it's St Andrews.

They built the course where there were originally warehouses.

That's right. But hitting over the hotel feels great (laughs).

Yes. It's really interesting because you hit right over the top.

The first match I created was the Fujisankei Classic 50 years ago. That was a year before Jumbo Ozaki started appearing in tournaments.

We didn't have the know-how yet, so we didn't even know how to drive stakes and string ropes. Until then, there were no tournaments other than major ones where the gallery watched from outside the ropes. Even the Japan Open didn't start charging for admission until 1973.

We drove the stakes with hammers and strung the ropes ourselves. When we were inside the ropes, people would say, "We're paying money, why are we on the outside?"

It was that kind of era!

The Masters at Augusta only allows 50,000 people a day. And that's "only."

When watching the Masters, the flowers like azaleas at Augusta are truly beautiful. And while the Amen Corner from the 11th to the 16th is famous for being thrilling with the wind, the gallery is also incredibly glamorous.

They call the gallery "patrons." Unlike other tournaments, the Masters is hosted by the Augusta National Golf Club. When Hideki Matsuyama Pro won and said at the end that he wanted to thank everyone at the club, it carried that meaning. Did you go to that souvenir shop?

Yes, I did. It's amazing. The scale is just different.

By the time the match starts, the souvenirs are already gone.

I was taken to Augusta in the fall and played a round. I went to the shop to buy a souvenir on the way back, but when I found something I liked, I was told it was only sold to members.

Right, right.

I wondered how they distinguished them, and I found that the items for members say "Augusta National." On the other hand, the souvenirs only say "Masters." The member items are higher quality, and I wanted those, but I couldn't buy them (laughs).

I was also shown the locker rooms in secret, and there is a locker room only for winners. I thought Jack Nicklaus might have many since he won so many times, but there was only one. That's how they carefully preserve tradition.

By the way, Ms. Miyazato, you struggled a bit before winning your first title after going to America, didn't you?

It took four years.

I'm impressed you didn't give up and come home halfway through. The food must have been difficult, and you have to travel across the vast United States.

That's true. I was fine with the food, but the travel was indeed tough. There are many tournaments overseas, and even within the US, there are time zones, and the grass and weather vary by state. I think it took four years until I could properly build up my own repertoire of skills to handle that.

The difference in grass is quite significant, isn't it?

Yes. It's completely different between the East and the West. Also, the course settings are totally different from Japan, and the way they set the pin positions is different, so the strategy for attacking the course changes.

In Japan, at the time, I could hit my second shots with a 7-iron or 8-iron, but in America, it would be the distance for a 5-iron or a utility club. Then the strategy for par 5s changes as well, leaving a distance of about 40 yards. I wasn't very good at those kinds of approaches, so I often struggled to create birdie chances.

Four years is quite a long time.

Yes. For about a year and a half, I went through a period of driver yips. I got the yips in my second year on the tour, and it took about two years from then until my first victory.

A major cause was that I repeatedly went through trial and error to increase my distance and accuracy, and I took the risk of significantly changing my swing without thinking too much about it. I lost sight of my greatest weapon: being able to hit with the same tempo and routine regardless of the situation.

Many people get the yips with putting. I didn't know there were yips for the driver too.

There are driver yips too. Impact happens in an instant, so once you develop a fear and become unable to swing, it takes a lot of adjustment to return to the sensation you used to have unconsciously. It's a difficult process.

It's said that if the clubface is off by even a tiny bit at address relative to your target, the landing point will be more than 7 yards off, so it's that delicate.

That's subtle. I'm sure you didn't even want to say the word "yips," but did you fix it?

Rather than fixing it, I completely dismantled everything I had been doing with momentum and youth, and started doing things consciously one by one. It took time to understand how I was moving and for my body to be able to move that way.

Back then, when I hit the ball, it would literally disappear from my field of vision. It would fly in a completely different direction from where I intended to hit it; it was a terrible state.

At our course, we maintain the fairways, rough, and greens at the lowest possible mowing height. We are currently mowing the greens at 2.8 mm. Usually, it's around 3.5 mm.

So average golfers can enjoy tournament speeds all year round (laughs).

It's amazing that you can maintain a green speed of 14 feet regardless of the season.

No, maintaining it for a full year is very difficult. Our staff is working hard aiming for fast greens like Augusta, but many people say that you can't compete globally unless you experience ultra-fast greens.

In Japan, many golf course managers don't make the greens very fast because it makes play take too long.

There is that tendency. Generally, greenkeepers have a craftsman-like mentality, so they have a strong desire to maintain the course safely at a consistent quality rather than taking risks and challenging themselves. That's why they hesitate, saying it's impossible to mow below 3 mm.

Mowing short can cause the blades to damage the turf, so they struggle with the battle against the four seasons to see how firm they can make the greens. At first, our greenkeeper almost gave up, saying that if we mowed below 3 mm, the grass would die and he couldn't take responsibility.

Well, it's like always having your head shaved to a buzz cut (laughs). There are only a few places in Japan, including Caledonian, that properly do that with their greens.

Ultra-fast greens are difficult, but many customers say they are fun to play on. They come back again and again.

A golf course is like a theater for a play; if you don't have proper facilities, you can't perform a truly great play.

Ms. Miyazato, you got your first win on the US Tour at the Evian Championship in France. For some reason, I was commentating on that on TV too. Fuji TV was broadcasting it.

After the third day, I asked, "Will you win tomorrow?" and you said, "Yes, I'm ready."

Yes, I did say that.

Hearing that, I thought, "Ah, she'll definitely win." Did you really think so at the time?

It was exactly the second year since I got the driver yips, and it was a time when various things were finally clicking into place. I had finished in the top 10 at the US Women's Open just before that, so I felt a sense of confidence within myself.

It went to a playoff, didn't it?

Yes. The yips hadn't completely disappeared yet, so I had a lot of anxiety, but I think I was able to do what I needed to do.

I think that's impressive. It must be hard to win while living with the yips.

It was hard (laughs).

The tournament in the Japanese women's professional golf world that had the largest gallery was the Japan Women's Open held at Totsuka Country Club in 2005. Ms. Miyazato won there as well.

The gallery at that time was incredible.

It was the largest gallery in history; I thought someone might get injured. Ms. Miyazato was at the peak of her popularity and skill.

That was the year before I went to America.

I'm a member at Totsuka, so I went to see it. I was surprised by how many people were in the gallery. To be able to show your skills and win in that environment, I truly take my hat off to you.

Mr. Hayakawa, what kind of place is an ideal golf course for you?

Ginjiro Chubu, who is called a "legendary amateur golfer," also said this, and I think it's Bobby Jones's philosophy: the best course is one that both professionals and amateurs can enjoy. Augusta is built that way. At Augusta, it's hard to get a birdie, but it's fun to play for a bogey.

An interesting course that anyone can enjoy. Moreover, I made it my ideal to have a course where you have to plan your strategy deeply.

That's wonderful.

The Caledonian golf course has very distinct characteristics, doesn't it? Was it you, Mr. Hayakawa, who said that shape was good?

I had been involved with three courses before that. The first course I built was about 50 years ago, and at that time, the era was such that long, wide, and flat was considered the best course. Naturally, it had two greens, and usually one of the two greens was shifted to the edge, but I thought it was strange if both weren't championship-level, so I lined the greens up. They were called "eyeball greens" (laughs).

But as you say, when there are two greens, you don't get penalized too heavily even if you miss slightly, so I thought this was boring and studied a lot.

When I asked J. Michael Poellot to design it, I initially said I wanted a layout that could withstand a big tournament. So, the first drawings were quite difficult. Since it seemed like it would be hard for amateurs to play the whole thing, I debated with Poellot all night at a hotel and asked him to make it a course that would be fun for us to play too. Tomisato Golf and Caledonian were built with that philosophy.

So that's how it happened.

In parallel with building Caledonian, the company I was with before asked Poellot to build a certain course. However, the president wanted to make it easier for corporate entertainment golf, so he moved the bunkers that Poellot had placed in great positions without permission, changing the image.

There was a bar between Caledonian and that other course, and Poellot's subordinate shapers would gather there at night. They were grumbling, "This course is mediocre and I'm sick of it. I want to work at Caledonian."

A shaper is someone who looks at the drawings created by the designer and builds the slopes and mounds exactly as drawn. They are the ones who do the finishing of the golf course.

That's why the shaper's passion is important. In Japan, subcontractors for general contractors often act as temporary shapers, so they all end up looking the same. In America, there are specialized shapers with excellent skills.

The designer's sense is important, but the shaper's sense is incredibly important. Designers often talk among themselves about who shaped famous courses in America.

What I admire most about you, Mr. Tobari, is that you demand quite strongly to cut down trees.

Yes, I'm aware of that (laughs).

I like Kawana Hotel Golf Course, so I go there every New Year, but there were many large pine trees along the coast that were slightly obstructing the view. When Mr. Tobari had them cut down, it felt like it returned to its roots, like Kawana should be. When I asked the caddies, they said, "There was a lot of opposition."

As I kept cutting the trees along the coast, Kawana's ranking in the World's Top 100 Courses rose from around 70th to 50th. A comment from one panelist said that the reason for the higher score was that the coastline became very beautiful and integrated with the sea.

The final 18th hole at Pebble Beach is along the coast, but it would be strange if there were trees planted on the left side of that, wouldn't it?

That's right. Just one on the right side is enough. You can't get a birdie unless you attack from the left.

Kawana and Pebble Beach opened around the same time, didn't they? The tree clearing made it much better. On holes like the 12th and 15th, the ocean is reflected beautifully.

I also heard this story. When they decided to hold the Japan Open at Ryugasaki, Mr. Tobari said the trees were in the way. When he told them to cut this tree and that tree, Ryugasaki wouldn't listen, so they ended up returning the tournament hosting rights.

But when you're trying to change something, you have to speak up clearly like that, or things won't change. That's true for everything in the world. Many people dislike change.

Old-school golfers always oppose it, don't they? But Abiko Golf Club also cleared out some trees and it looks much cleaner now.

The caddies were saying that after Mr. Tobari told them where to cut, it became very refreshing.

When I went right after the renovation, it felt a bit off. But when I went recently, it had settled into a proper, established course.

If you see someone right after they've been to the barber, you think something looks strange, right? But after about a week, it settles in. So it's just a matter of getting used to it. Though, I'm often considered quite dangerous (laughs).

It's impressive how you do those things without fear.

The Japan Amateur used to be played as match play for a long time. But starting three years ago, they changed the men's division to stroke play as well. I was strongly opposed to it. This is because match play is the origin of golf.

Even the U.S. Women's Amateur, which Saki Baba won, is match play. It's not good for the highest-level amateur tournament in Japan to move away from the origin of golf, which is competing against the opponent right in front of you.

Match play is indeed interesting. It's a game of battle between nature and humans.

It is interesting. It's completely different from stroke play.

Caledonian offers quite a lot of match play. In addition to the five major competitions, they hold match play events on weekdays like the (Chubu) Ginjiro Cup and the Kaneda Memorial, and the participation is very high. That shows how many people want to play match play.

Because Caledonian is known for its fast and interesting greens, many relatively skilled players have started coming. The monthly competitions used to have about 30 participants, but now it's 150. It's full just with the monthly events.

The history of golf basically started with match play. In short, you go together, and once the match is decided, you can go home or enjoy the rest of the course. That's how it all was in Scotland in the old days, and when the Open Championship began in 1860, it was played as stroke play for the first time.

But the lineage of match play has remained unbroken, and that is the origin.

The rules are quite different between stroke play and match play. Even things like how to give a 'gimme'.

You mean a 'concede,' right?

I once created the Japan Professional Golf Match Play Championship. We broadcasted one match every week on TV Asahi, and it was very exciting.

There are scenes where someone sinks a long putt first, and then the person with a birdie chance gets flustered and three-putts. Those things happen quite often.

People playing match play get incredibly excited. It must be that much more fun.

I have a request for Mr. Tobari. Currently, the course names are hardly ever shown on the TV screen. So, if you start watching halfway through, you often wonder which course it is. I think it would be great if they displayed which course and which hole it is, so please mention that to them.

I understand. There used to be several, but now I'm the only one left on TV who provides commentary on the tournament itself rather than just the pro play. Fifty years ago, at the first Fuji Sankei Classic, I was told, "You planned this match, so you should speak," and that was the first time I started commentating.

Mr. Tobari's voice carries very well. That's why you leave a strong impression as a commentator.

It's wonderful. Having done this for 50 years, how do you hope golf will evolve from here?

Either way, I think it will become more international. I think an era is coming where professional golfers will be required to be capable of competing in any tournament in any country around the world.

As for TV broadcasts, currently, because people speak in Japanese and scores are displayed in Japanese, Japanese tournaments can only be broadcast in Japan. I once suggested displaying scores and names in English, but it still hasn't been improved.

Also, when you play golf now, you pay a tax called the Golf Course Utilization Tax. Unless that takes a different form, it won't truly be a sport. There aren't many sports where you have to pay a tax just to play.

That's certainly true.

I want those things to change. There's no doubt it will become more international, so golf courses, tournaments, and the amateur world must prepare accordingly.

In Japan, many amateurs hold competitions using the Double Peoria handicap system, but that only works in Japan. In other countries, especially the U.S., there are systems where you can get a handicap whether you are a member of a golf course or not. This allows amateur golf to be managed enjoyably.

When I played golf in Hawaii, the Americans I played with all showed their handicap cards. Since we don't have that in Japan, I just gave a rough estimate of my handicap while playing.

As Mr. Tobari says, I think the competition will become increasingly international as a sport. Even now, in my perception, golf has already become a completely different sport. I think it has changed tremendously in the last five years. Becoming an Olympic sport was also a huge change for me.

Until now, when talking to Olympians, I was often told, "Isn't golf a professional sport?" and I felt a barrier, but I hope those things disappear and golf spreads further across the world.

According to data from the Japan Productivity Center, the golfing population (those who have played on a golf course) is 5.6 million. During the bubble era, it was 10 million. But it has been increasing slightly due to the pandemic.

In terms of the total number of users at golf driving ranges, it well exceeded 100 million during the bubble era, but dropped to 86 million in 2018. However, it turned upward again and recovered to the 100 million level in 2021.

Since Keio has so many alumni, it would be nice if it owned at least one golf course somewhere, like American universities do. It could be a good public course where Keio graduates get priority for tee times, but the general public can also play. Something that contributes to the golf world.

Golf is a game that really tests one's character. It's important to be respected by others. The origin is to write your score correctly even when no one is looking and not to tell lies.

I've been feeling this a lot lately, but I think professional competition also needs to place more importance on sportsmanship.

Right now, the women's professional golf world is booming and very glamorous, and it's become a sport where you can earn a lot of money from a young age. However, since it's a sport with playing partners, that respect—praising your opponent and saying "good job" to each other afterward—becomes very important.

I get the impression lately that in victory interviews of young players, there are few words directed toward the opponent they narrowly beat. So I want to send a message to have a broader perspective and value respect for the people you competed with.

Ms. Miyazato, when you decided to retire, did you take quite a long time to think about it?

I thought about it quite a bit. The word 'retirement' first flickered in my mind when I was around 29, so I think it took three or four years from then until I actually retired.

Was that because you felt something had changed while playing your own golf?

That's right. First, I started feeling physical changes from around age 28. Little by little, there were times when I couldn't move the way I wanted, and I felt I got tired a bit more easily. I thought I had been taking measures since I was about 26, but somehow things stopped clicking into place.

Also, my desire and motivation to win weren't as strong as before. If your motivation isn't high, you can't give 100% in practice either. It's not a world where you can win like that.

If I had wanted to continue with 60% or 70% motivation, I probably could have, but it was a question of whether that was the right thing to do.

From our perspective, your retirement felt too early. It was very disappointing.

Thank you for saying that.

But in my own mind, I felt I could no longer compete. I felt that even if I had returned to Japan, the same thing would likely have happened.

But that final 18th hole in your retirement match at Rokko Kokusai Country Club. I was amazed you sank that putt.

I did sink it, didn't I? I was actually shocked at how poor that approach shot was (laughs).

Watching that was deeply moving. The approach on the final hole didn't go very well, leaving a bit of a tricky putt. But you sank it perfectly.

That felt like a reward. It really felt that way.

But golf is a very good sport. I am retired, of course, but I can continue playing it, so I'm really enjoying golf right now. I was told that a time would come when I wouldn't mind even if I shot an 80, and that's exactly where I am now (laughs). It doesn't bother me at all.

That's why it's fun.

It is fun. During my active days, it was a world of competing over one or two yards, so I was very cautious about changing clubs. But now, if it flies even one yard further, I'll change the ball or the driver. I'm trying out far more different clubs than when I was active.

Your mindset becomes a bit more like an amateur's, doesn't it?

It really does. I'm looking at golf from a completely different perspective now, but I still think it's a great sport.

In any case, golf is a sport that men and women of all ages can enjoy at their own level throughout their lives.