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Japan Forward
08-06-2025
- Sport
- Japan Forward
LPGA Tour Showcases Japanese Women's Golf Talent
Recent LPGA Tour titles by Rio Takeda and Mao Saigo, along with Japanese women's representation in the world rankings, illustrate this generation's proficiency. Mao Saigo is Japan's top-ranked golf on the LPGA Tour. (©Stacy Revere/GETTY IMAGES/via SANKEI) Week after week, the headlines underscore the fact that an increasing number of Japanese women are making their mark on the LPGA Tour. Exhibit A: Victories by Rio Takeda (at March's Blue Bay LPGA in China) and by Mao Saigo (on April 27 at the Chevron Championship in Texas) delivered recent reminders of the nation's substantial women's golf talent. Rio Takeda (Erik Williams/IMAGN IMAGES/via REUTERS) And don't forget that Akie Iwai placed second at the LA Championship on April 27. Moreover, the ShopRite LPGA Classic (June 6-8) served to hammer home the point that this is a successful era for Japanese LPGA Tour members. In the tournament's opening round on Friday, in Galloway, New Jersey, Akie Iwai carded a 6-under 65 and was two strokes off the lead. Compatriots Ayaka Furue and Saki Baba were a further shot adrift following their 5-under 66 efforts. Akie Iwai shot a 31 on the front nine and had six birdies in the first half of the round, including the par-4 second hole. Akie Iwai hits a tee shot in the first round of the ShopRite LPGA Classic on June 6 in Galloway, New Jersey. (KYODO) "So [the second hole] is definitely a tough hole, but I gave myself a birdie chance," she told reporters after the first round. "It wasn't an easy putt. But since I made that putt, it did set the tone for the rest of my round." Takeda carded a 67 in the first round. Miyuu Yamashita, a two-time winner of the JLPGA Tour title in her homeland, also had a positive start, shooting a 68. Chisato Iwai, Akie's twin, also had a 68. Ayaka Furue in a March 2025 file photo. (KYODO) When you take a quick glance at the latest Rolex Women's Golf World Rankings (updated on June 2), you quickly notice that Japan is well represented. In fact, nine Japanese LPGA Tour players are in the top 50. Saigo is 10th, Takeda is 14th, Furue is 16th and Yamashita is 18th. Also in the top 50: Akie Iwai (24th), Chisato Iwai (36th), Yuka Saso (39th), Nasa Hataoka (44th) and Sakura Koiwai (49th). Tokito Oda competes in the French Open men's wheelchair singles final on June 7 in Paris. (KYODO) World No 1 Tokito Oda secured a spot in the French Open men's wheelchair singles final against rival Alfie Hewett by beating Spain's Martin de la Puente 6-4, 6-4 in the semifinals on Friday, June 6. On Saturday, Oda, who turned 19 on May 8, returned to the spotlight, vying for his third straight French Open singles title. Mission accomplished. Oda defeated second-seeded Hewett 6-4, 7-6 (8-6). The Japanese teenager joined elite company, becoming the third man to win the wheelchair singles Grand Slam title in Paris three or more times. Shingo Kunieda won it eight times, while Hewett has captured the title on three occasions. Tokito Oda (KYODO) "I was able to see many Japanese people, children, etc., today, and I am glad to have won three consecutive championships in front of them," Oda was quoted as saying by Nikkan Sports . He continued: "I was kind of tired at the end, so I am relieved. I will do my best again in this tournament, yes. [And] I will do my best to win the championship for the 10th year in a row!" After the match, Hewett commended Oda for their spirited showdown. "Congratulations Tokito, thank you again for another amazing match [in] an arena like this," Hewett stated in an on-court interview. "I want to say thank you to my team who are here this week and back at home cheering me on, supporting and I hope to see you next year." At the 2024 Paris Paralympics, Oda also beat Hewett in the men's singles final. Yui Kamiji plays a shot in the French Open women's wheelchair singles final against Aniek van Koot on June 7. (Gonzalo Fuentes/REUTERS) Also on Saturday, top-seeded Yui Kamiji competed in the French Open women's wheelchair singles title match against longtime rival Aniek van Koot of the Netherlands. Kamiji triumphed 6-2, 6-2 to win the event for the fifth time in her banner career. Saturday's victory also produced Kamiji's 10th Grand Slam singles title. Eri Hozumi (rear) and partner Ulrikke Eikeri in action during a French Open women's doubles quarterfinal match on June 4 in Paris. (KYODO) Japanese veteran Eri Hozumi and Norway's Ulrikke Eikeri advanced to the French Open women's doubles semifinals as an unseeded tandem. On Friday, June 6, Serbia's Aleksandra Krunic and Kazakhstan's Anna Danilina spoiled the duo's title hopes, winning 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 7-5. The 31-year-old Hozumi had her best French Open doubles performance in 2018, when she teamed up with Makoto Ninomiya for a runner-up finish. Australia's Connor Metcalfe (right) competes against Japan's Joel Chima Fujita in a 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian Group C qualifier on June 5 in Perth, Australia. (Richard Wainwright/AAP IMAGE/via REUTERS ) Nearly three months after Japan qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, manager Hajime Moriyasu's squad resumed competition on Thursday night, June 5. In an Asian Group C qualifier against Australia in Perth, the Samurai Blue lost 1-0. Aziz Behich ended the stalemate in the 90th minute. Japan (six wins, two draws, one loss) in third-round qualifying matches and still leads Group C with 20 points. Australia (four wins, four draws, one loss) is in second place with 16 points. The pressure was on the Socceroos to earn a win as they seek to secure a berth in the 2026 World Cup. Japan gave several younger players a chance to compete without the added pressure of a high-stakes environment. For instance, Wataru Endo and Takefusa Kubo were among Japan's key players not given starting assignments. In addition, forward Yu Hirakawa (Bristol City), midfielder/forward Kota Tawaratsumida (FC Tokyo) and defender Hiroki Sekine (Stade de Reims) all earned their first caps. Moriyasu made no excuses after Japan's defeat. "I don't believe there are any matches where it's acceptable for the national team to lose," Moriyasu told reporters. "No matter who takes the pitch, we are expected to win." He also spoke about the team's concurrent goal of building for the future. "That said, we shouldn't always rely solely on our core players out of fear of defeat," Moriyasu stated. "Instead, we must take responsibility for the development of Japanese football while also striving for victory as a team." In its final World Cup qualifier, Japan faces Indonesia on Tuesday, September 10. Kickoff is 7:35 PM in Suita, Osaka Prefecture. Soccer Analysis: Japan Booked 2026 World Cup Place in Style Shohei Ohtani (Gary A Vasquez/IMAGN IMAGES/via REUTERS) Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Shohei Ohtani only hit one home run in the team's first six games of June, a quiet stretch for the power-hitting superstar. That said, Ohtani is the National League leader in homers (23) through games of June 6. A day earlier, Bill Arnold's Beyond the Box Score newsletter noted that Ohtani was on pace to hit 59 home runs this season. In 2024, he smacked a career-high 54. The fan favorite and MLB leader Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners (24 round-trippers) were the focal point of the newsletter's introduction, with Arnold pointing out that they could become only the seventh and eighth players in MLB history to hit 60 or more homers. Stay tuned. In related news, Ohtani was named the NL's Player of the Month for June. An announcement was made on Tuesday, June 3. Ohtani had an MLB-best 15 homers in May and also led all players with 31 runs scored while batting .309. He was second in RBIs (27). SPORTS SHORTS | MLB Stars Ohtani and Suzuki Wielding Powerful Bats New York Mets starter pitcher Kodai Senga pitches against the Colorado Rockies in the second inning on June 6 at Coors Field in Denver. (Isaiah J Downing/IMAGN IMAGES/via REUTERS) New York Mets starter Kodai Senga is third among MLB starters in ERA through games of Friday, June 6. Senga has a 1.59 ERA. He trails only Kansas City Royals left-hander Kris Bubic (1.43) and Texas Rangers hurler Nathan Eovaldi (1.56). All three men have made 12 starts. In his latest start, Senga got a no-decision against the Colorado Rockies on Friday. He pitched six innings of one-run ball, allowing five hits. Senga, who has a 6-3 win-loss record, walked two and struck out six. The Mets rallied for a 4-2 victory in the ninth inning in Denver. New York manager Carlos Mendoza said he's confident whenever Senga steps on the pitcher's mound. "[Senga gives] an ace-type outing every time he takes the baseball," Mendoza said, according to the New York Post , on Friday. "I feel good with all our guys, too, but with Kodai, he continues to get better." Mendoza added, "I feel he's getting to a point now where, since [the] first pitch, there is intensity there, the way the ball is coming out and he's using all his pitches." Keisei Tominaga shoots in the NBA G League Up Next Game on February 16 in San Francisco. (NBAE/GETTY IMAGES/via KYODO) Former University of Nebraska sharpshooter Keisei Tominaga has signed a contract to play for the Levanga Hokkaido in the 2025-26 season. Tominaga, 24, received limited playing time in his rookie season as a pro with the NBA G League's Indiana Mad Ants. He averaged 5.4 points and 8.7 minutes in 14 games. Indiana had a 34-game G League season. Now, Tominaga, who played for the Japan national team at the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup and the 2024 Paris Olympics, looks ahead with a fresh outlook. The Aichi Prefecture native said he wants to help the Levanga qualify for the playoffs for the first time. "Together with the fans, [new] head coach [Torsten] Loibl and my teammates, I will do my best in all green using my 3-point shot as my weapon to achieve our immediate goal of the club's first championship appearance," Tominaga said in a statement. He added that the team's bigger goal is to win the league championship. The Levanga missed the playoffs this past season, finishing with a 21-39 record. Author: Ed Odeven Find Ed on JAPAN Forward' s dedicated website, SportsLook . Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven .
Washington Post
07-06-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
Elizabeth Szokol, Ilhee Lee shoot 62s to share the lead in the ShopRite LPGA Classic
GALLOWAY, N.J. — Elizabeth Szokol birdied the first five holes and shot an 8-under 62 on Friday for a share of the first-round lead with Ilhee Lee in the ShopRite LPGA Classic. Playing in the afternoon on Seaview's Bay Course, Szokol followed her opening birdie run with a bogey on No. 6, then added birdies on Nos. 8, 9, 13 and 16. 'Happy to get off to a great start and really looking forward to the weekend,' Szokol said. 'Lots of golf left. Really excited to see good golf and hard work paying off today.' The 30-year-old American teamed with Cheyenne Knight to win the 2023 Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational for her only tour victory. Top-ranked Nelly Korda opened with a 71, and No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul had a 68. Maja Stark, the U.S. Women's Open winner Sunday at Erin Hills, shot 70. Lee birdied three straight holes three times — on Nos. 3-5, 8-10 and 16-18 — and had one bogey in her morning round. The 36-year-old South Korean won the 2013 Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic for her lone tour title. 'I don't have expectation,' Lee said. 'I just play golf. I just come out, have fun. That's all I do.' Akie Iwai of Japan was third after a 65 in one of only two 54-hole tournaments left on the LPGA Tour schedule. The other is the Walmart NW Arkansas Open. 'Normally four days, so I feel fast, shorter tournament,' Iwai said. 'That's why we must make a lot birdies.' Wei-Ling Hsu was at 66 with Aline Krauter, Ayaka Furue, Polly Mack, Saki Baba, Dewi Weber and Gurleen Kaur. Defending champion Linnea Strom shot 72. ___ AP golf:
Associated Press
06-06-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Elizabeth Szokol, Ilhee Lee shoot 62s to share the lead in the ShopRite LPGA Classic
GALLOWAY, N.J. (AP) — Elizabeth Szokol birdied the first five holes and shot an 8-under 62 on Friday for a share of the first-round lead with Ilhee Lee in the ShopRite LPGA Classic. Playing in the afternoon on Seaview's Bay Course, Szokol followed her opening birdie run with a bogey on No. 6, then added birdies on Nos. 8, 9, 13 and 16. 'Happy to get off to a great start and really looking forward to the weekend,' Szokol said. 'Lots of golf left. Really excited to see good golf and hard work paying off today.' The 30-year-old American teamed with Cheyenne Knight to win the 2023 Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational for her only tour victory. Top-ranked Nelly Korda opened with a 71, and No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul had a 68. Maja Stark, the U.S. Women's Open winner Sunday at Erin Hills, shot 70. Lee birdied three straight holes three times — on Nos. 3-5, 8-10 and 16-18 — and had one bogey in her morning round. The 36-year-old South Korean won the 2013 Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic for her lone tour title. 'I don't have expectation,' Lee said. 'I just play golf. I just come out, have fun. That's all I do.' Akie Iwai of Japan was third after a 65 in one of only two 54-hole tournaments left on the LPGA Tour schedule. The other is the Walmart NW Arkansas Open. 'Normally four days, so I feel fast, shorter tournament,' Iwai said. 'That's why we must make a lot birdies.' Wei-Ling Hsu was at 66 with Aline Krauter, Ayaka Furue, Polly Mack, Saki Baba, Dewi Weber and Gurleen Kaur. Defending champion Linnea Strom shot 72. ___ AP golf:
Associated Press
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Chisato Iwai wins Mexico Riviera Maya Open by 6 shots for first LPGA title
PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico (AP) — Chisato Iwai took a tournament up for grabs and turned it into her own highlight show Sunday, making five birdies in her opening six holes for a 6-under 66 and a six-shot victory in the Mexico Riviera Maya Open for her first LPGA title. Iwai led from the opening hole at El Camaleon when she made birdie and Jenny Bae made bogey, and the 22-year-old from Japan was on her way. 'My mental is so calm — calm every day, every time,' Iwai said. She ran off four straight birdies, poured in every putt that mattered and then cruised home to become the third LPGA rookie to win this season. Iwai, whose twin sister Akie Iwai has been runner-up twice this year, finished at 12-under 276. Bae had a one-shot lead going into the final round at Mayakoba, and the 10 players behind her also had never experienced winning on the LPGA Tour. It didn't take long for Iwai, who had eight wins on the Japan LPGA before getting her LPGA card, to turn this into a rout. She hit wedge to 4 feet on the third hole for birdie. She rolled in a 7-foot birdie putt on the fourth. Her approach to the par-5 fifth was right of the green, close to the water, and she calmly chipped that to 2 feet for a third straight birdie. Iwai finished the big birdie run with a 15-foot putt on No. 6. Bae bogeyed the opening two holes and never caught up. She steadied herself on the back nine to salvage a 73 and a runner-up finish. 'It just tells me that I have a long ways to go but also I'm also getting there, too,' Bae said. 'So I'm happy. I definitely know what I need to work on for the week off for me. Hopefully I'll be able to score better at the next tournament.' The six-shot victory for Iwai matched the largest margin this year. Rio Takeda of Japan also won by six at the Blue Bay LPGA in China. Iwai took off early and it seemed as though everyone simply cleared out of her way. Gabriela Ruffels, who birdied five of her last six holes on Saturday to get within two shots of the lead, made only one birdie in her round of 76. Miranda Wang, who stayed in the game with clutch par putts down the stretch in the third round, closed with a 76 without making a birdie. Yahui Zhang made bogey on six of her last seven holes for a 78. Iwai won $375,000 for her first title. It's the first time in 10 years the LPGA has had three rookies win before the end of May. The LPGA returned to Mexico for the first time since 2017 and didn't attract a strong field with the U.S. Women's Open next week at Erin Hills is Wisconsin. Charley Hull at No. 15 was the highest-ranked player in the field. She didn't break 70 all week and tied for 32nd. ___ AP golf:
Japan Forward
22-04-2025
- Sport
- Japan Forward
Akie Iwai Finishes 2nd at the LA Championship
For the second time in the 2025 LPGA Tour season, Akie Iwai earned a runner-up finish on Sunday, April 20. After shooting an 8-under 64 on Saturday, Iwai was tied for the JM Eagle LA Championship lead heading into the final round at El Caballero Country Club in Los Angeles. A day later, the 22-year-old tour rookie carded a 3-under 69. In the fourth round, the Saitama Prefecture native had five birdies and two bogeys to finish at 20-under 268. Sweden's Ingrid Lindblad beat Iwai by one stroke, completing the tourney at 21-under 267 for her first LPGA Tour victory in her third start. Iwai had a chance to force a sudden-death playoff with Lindblad, but she bogeyed the par-4 18th hole. "I'm very frustrated," Iwai said, according to Kyodo News. "I was so nervous on the last putt on the 18th and couldn't make it. It was a waste. I have a chance to bounce back next week, so I'll try to channel my frustration then." Japan's Miyuu Yamashita finished in a three-way tie for third at 19-under 269 along with Germany's Esther Henseleit and Lauren Coughlin of the United States. Also for Japan, Nasa Hataoka, who had the best performance of the final round Sunday (9-under 63), earned a top-10 finish, placing sixth overall at 18-under 270. Akie Iwai has a pair of runner-up finishes in four LPGA Tour events in 2025. (KYODO) Akie Iwai Demonstrates Talent on the LPGA Tour In four starts on the LPGA Tour in 2025, Iwai has made the cut three times. She placed second at the Honda LPGA Thailand on February 23, carding a 27-under 261. Iwai finished one stroke behind winner Angel Yin. In between her strong performance in Thailand and the LA Championship, Iwai tied for 44th at the Ford Championship in Chandler, Arizona, on March 30. Up next: the Chevron Championship (April 24-27) in The Woodlands, Texas. Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani leads off from first base during the eighth inning against the Texas Rangers on April 20 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. (Jerome Miron/IMAGN IMAGES/via REUTERS) Baseball New Father Ohtani Returns to the Dodgers Lineup Playing in his first game after the birth of his daughter, Shohei Ohtani was hitless in three at-bats and walked once on Sunday, April 20 in Arlington, Texas. The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Texas Rangers 1-0. Ohtani missed the first two games of the three-game series while remaining in California to be with his wife Mamiko for the birth of their first child. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts correctly stated the length of time players are permitted to spend on the paternity list in his remarks about Ohtani on Sunday. "I think in paternity, you get three days," Roberts said, according to "But for him to just make sure the baby was healthy and to get back here, and to be a part of this, certainly shows his ability to balance life and work. Good to have him back, and most importantly, I'm happy [he] and Mamiko have a healthy baby girl." The United States figure skating squad poses for photos after winning the 2025 ISU World Team Trophy on April 19 at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium. (KYODO) Figure Skating US Wins World Team Trophy, Japan Finishes 2nd First-place finishes in the free skate by world champions Ilia Malinin and Alysa Liu in the men's and women's singles events helped the United States clinch the overall title in the World Team Trophy on Saturday, April 19. Team USA finished with 126 points, followed by Japan (110 and Italy (86) in the six-nation biennial event at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium. France, Canada and Georgia placed fourth, fifth and sixth. Malinin and American teammate Jason Brown were 1-2 in the men's free skate with 183.88 and 179.33 points, respectively. Italy's Daniel Grassl took third (172.45), followed by Shun Sato (169.62) and Yuma Kagiyama (168.93) in fourth and fifth. In the women's free skate, Liu topped the scoring chart with 150.97 points, followed by fellow American Amber Glenn (148.93). Three-time world champion Kaori Sakamoto was third (145.00). The World Team Trophy awards points to teams based on skaters' results after both the short program and free skate. Riku Miura (left) and Ryuichi Kihara compete in the pairs free skate on April 19 in Tokyo. (KYODO) In the pairs competition, Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara, who claimed their second world title in Boston on March 27, won the short program and the free skate. Advertisement Did You Know? New York Mets right-hander Kodai Senga leads the National League in ERA (0.79) heading into the week of April 21-27. In his third MLB season, Senga is 3-1. He's allowed zero runs in each of his last three starts. RELATED: Author: Ed Odeven Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.
