On the last hole of the 2024 Amundi Evian Championship in France, Japan’s Ayaka Furue made a spectacular, clutch putt for eagle to win by one stroke.
Furue, Stephanie Kyriacou of Australia, and Patty Tavatanakit of Thailand were tied at -17 going into the last hole. The Japanese athlete’s second attempt found the green, but she needed to remain composed to complete the task at hand. Furue finished the round at six under par, one shot ahead of Kyriacou, who birdied the last hole, after rolling in the eagle with composure. Furue finished the tournament at 19 under. Once her ball hit the bottom of the cup, the 24-year-old triumphantly raised her right arm in celebration.
With her win, Furue said: “I just kept trusting myself… It is breathtaking.” She won the tournament with an eagle on the last five holes, finishing five under par. Indeed, she definitely deserved the prize.
On being the fourth Japanese golfer to win a major title
Furue is the fourth different golfer from Japan to win a major tournament. She was preceded by Yuka Saso, who won the 2024 US Women’s Open last month, Chako Huguchi (1977) and Hinako Shibuno (2019), The athlete later described being a member of the Japanese major-winning team as an “incredible” honour.
Furue won the 2022 Women’s Scottish Open, making this her second career triumph on the LPGA Tour.
At the Japan Classic, Rio Takeda won against American Marina Alex in a six-hole sudden-death play-off to secure her first LPGA tour title.
Due to the unexpected weather on the day of the competition, the play was shortened to 54 regulation holes. The 21-year-old athlete forced a play-off by birdieing the 18th hole, leaving them at 15 under.
The first play-off hole was birdied by both players, and they both found par on the following four holes. However, on the par-five 18th hole, Takeda made a birdie to seal her win and defeat Alex, who could only manage par.
Takeda has earned a tour card as a result of the play-off victory, which was one of the longest in LPGA history. With this, the athlete said: “I was planning to take Q School in December and now I can skip that and go and play next year on the LPGA tour, which is exciting for me now.”
In a social media post, Takeda also stated (translated): “It’s been a long time until the playoffs, but I think we won the championship thanks to everyone who supported us until the end 😆”
Haruka Kitaguchi is all smiles at the Brussels Diamond League as she clinches another gold medal for Japan at the Diamond League meeting held in Brussels, Belgium, on September 8, 2023.
Kitaguchi first made headlines last month when she dominated the Women’s Javelin Throw event at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest. This marked a milestone in her career as she claimed her first ever gold medal, making her team and countrymen proud with her achievement. In addition to this, she also became the third Japanese woman to ever win a gold medal in the history of the World Athletics Championships.
Kitaguchi started out by placing fourth in the competition. However, she moved to the top of the leaderboard when she unexpectedly threw a remarkable 66.73 meters in the sixth and final round. With this feat, she was able to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics, making her the first Japanese to do so.
Kitaguchi exalted
“I’m too excited to understand the situation,” Kitaguchi said. “My body feels so light. I feel like being in the air about 3 centimetres above the ground.”
When Kitaguchi was asked how she felt after making her final shot, she said, “I don’t remember at all. I have to watch the video. I got too noisy. I only remember I screamed.”
She did the same thing on September 8, saving her best performance for the last round of the competition. Kitaguchi hit 67.38 meters with her javelin in the 6th round, breaking her own record from the previous event and locking down the top spot.
“She put this competition to bed with the final throw. What is it about Haruka Kitaguchi and throwing big late?”, the commentator said in the background.
“67.38 is the world lead, the furthest throw in the world this year, beating her own.” , he added.
After announcing Kitaguchi as the winner of the evening, she erupted into a big smile and got hugged one by one by her competitors to congratulate her.
After winning at the ISPS Handa Championship in Japan, Yuto Katsuragawa set his sights on an invitation to play on the PGA Tour.
Currently the world No. 434, the athlete began in the competition mainly unknown outside of his native country, and it appeared that way until coming into the final round three strokes behind the lead among players on the DP World Tour with winning records. With his determination, he shared the lead at the halfway point after making up two strokes on the front nine as the leaders were having difficulty, and five birdies in seven holes beginning on the tenth hole powered him to victory.
After a final-round 63 to go to 17 under, three shots ahead of the Swedish player Sebastian Soderberg, he announced following his triumph that he will now accept his membership in the DP World Tour.
Katsuragawa and the next challenge
Katsuragawa declared: “I have been practicing a lot to stand on the big stage… I can now go on the DP World Tour which is really great and I’m really happy with it. I’m aiming to become a member of the PGA Tour in the future.”
“I was very nervous on the back nine, my hands were shaking but I trusted myself and I managed to bring my golf… This course is beside Mount Fuji and very beautiful but it is a challenging course and I’m happy to win at a challenging course like this,” he added.
With the top 10 players at the end of the season not already exempt earning a PGA Tour card, Katsuragawa will automatically move into the top 25 on the Race to Dubai.
In her match against Europe’s Albane Valenzuela in Gainesville, Virginia, Lilia Vu won half a point, moving the hosts closer to the 14-1/2 mark they needed to reclaim the trophy and securing the Solheim Cup for the United States.
The United States needed 4-1/2 points from the 12 singles matches. Megan Khang, Rose Zhang, Allisen Corpuz, Andrea Lee, and Lauren Coughlin each scored half a point to set the stage for Vu, who completed the sweep with just two matches remaining.
With two holes remaining on the last day, Vu was behind Valenzuela as Europe launched a strong rally, but the American finished her round with two birdies, one of which came at the final hole after a terrific approach shot.
The Americans won the biennial match-play championship for the first time since 2017 — and thus prevented Europe from winning the Solheim Cup for an unprecedented fourth time in a row.
With only one tie from the previous year in Spain, the United States leads the Solheim Cup series overall 11-7-1.
The golf phenomenon from South Korea, So Yeon Ryu, announced her decision to leave the professional golf scene next month following an incredible 13-season adventure on the LPGA Tour that included two incredible major wins. Ryu announced the breaking of a significant chapter in women’s golf history in a moving social media message.
Her name is carved among the sport’s best, her unmatched skill and unflinching resolve create an enduring impression on the greens. Fans will always be inspired by Ryu’s legacy, which embodies the spirit of greatness and tenacity in the game of golf, even after he leaves us.
So Yeon Ryu took her Instagram and shared;
As I declare a major turning point in my life—the Chevron Championship is the end of my adventure on the LPGA tour—I stand before you today feeling a mixture of emotions. I am grateful for the chance to follow my love professionally, and as I think back on my decision to retire, I’ve started a sentimental trip through the highs and lows of my career.
All these years have been a treasured chapter in my life, even with the expected hardships. More than everything, I want to express how grateful I am for all of your unfailing love and support over this incredible journey.
Because I really believe that “golf is life,” I’ve embraced the priceless lessons it imparts, like patience, respect, endurance, and more. I’m excited to improve my cherished sport as I prepare for the next stage. I am very grateful to all of my tour companions for your constant support; I can’t wait to see you again in Houston and give you all a hearty hug. Let’s push golf to new heights together.
Ryu wrote; “After deciding to retire, I spent much time looking back on my career,”
“I feel incredibly thankful that I can pursue my passion daily and even turn it into a profession.” Admittedly, there were some difficult times, but overall, I had a great time experiencing everything,” she said to news18.
Ryu: A Beginner Turned Champion
In an incredible feat of skill, Ryu defeated Hee Kyung Seo in a thrilling three-hole playoff to win her first major championship in the 2011 U.S. Women’s Open.hen On her LPGA debut in 2012 she won the coveted Rookie of the Year title, from then on, her ascent to fame only got faster.
Ryu established herself as a formidable competitor throughout the years, placing in the top five at the U.S. Women’s Open six times between 2011 and 2019.
The high point of her career was achieved at the 2017 ANA Inspiration in Mission Hills, California, where she made history again by winning her second major championship by defeating Lexi Thompson in a thrilling playoff match. Ryu’s journey is a monument to her unwavering skill, tenacity, and determination on the course. She boasts an astounding tally of six victories on the LPGA Tour and a stunning 10 victories on the Korean LPGA Tour.
