No one was surprised when Japan won the Toyota Junior Golf World Cup supported by Japan Airlines on the final day, but it was more stressful than anyone could have imagined.
This was particularly true in the girls division. The host nation, who had broken scoring records each day of the week, managed to hold off an enraged United States comeback and claim its third title in four editions.
Yuna Araki admitted that she was so nervous that her hands were shaking on the last hole at Chukyo’s Ishino Course. Her par there won Yuna not only the team title, but also individual honors against Californian Anna Davis.
Japan, which had a seven-shot lead at the start of the day, was tied with the U.S. team with only six holes remaining to be played by all groups. Araki and Sakibaba’s late birdies pushed the Japanese trio in front. They won by two shots, even with their record score of 34-under-542.
The boys from Japan had it easier, although their six-shot advantage at the start of the day was reduced to two shots by the halfway point in the first nine holes. Kaito Sato Reo Maruo Jukito Ogawa then stepped up their game, making eight birdies over a stretch of four holes to give them a bigger cushion at the turn.
“Those birdies (at Nos. “Those birdies at (Nos.) “I imagine that it was the case for everyone else.”
Canada was beaten by four points after Japan’s score of 34-under-818, the third-best team score in tournament history for nearly 30 years. This was the first win for the host nation on the boys’ side in 2015.
The results of Friday marked the first time since 2017 that a single nation has won both the boys’ and girls trophies. In 2017, Team USA took home the full set, including both the team and individual titles.
Sato said, “It’s good that the boys kept up with the girls in this week.” “I believe that overall, Japanese players have improved and we can compete on the international stage.”
Each team of four boys uses a format that is similar to college golf in the United States. In the girls division, teams count the two highest scores out of three.
The final hours of Friday did not disappoint. This week was billed as the showdown between powerful Japanese and U.S. women. The Japanese trio of Araki Baba Saori Iijima had a slow start, with only one birdie in the first six golf holes. Their American counterparts however were on fire.
Jasmine Koo smashed three birdies in a row starting at Nos. She later calmed down. Davis made three birdies on a front nine that was bogey free, as the Americans cut the lead in half.
Davis, the winner of 2022 Augusta National Women’s Amateur, said: “We knew what we had do.” We knew we were seven strokes behind but knew that it was possible to catch up. “We were there for a long time.”
Standing side-by-side, both at 32-under in the final stretch. Baba, who is the reigning U.S. Women’s Amateur Champion, birdied 17th hole to put Japan ahead of Team USA’s Katie Li.
Araki and Davis who were playing in the group below each parred No. Araki and Davis, playing in the group behind, each birdied No. To keep the margin to one, go to the 18th hole.
Araki found the fairway despite her nerves, but Davis watched as Davis’ drive raced into a fairway bunker — plugging just beneath the lip.
Davis snorted, “Not the best combination to put it mildly.”
She was able to advance the ball right and just off the green. However, her chip shot went 15 feet beyond the pin. This meant that she could not convert the par saving. Araki’s shot landed just inches short of the hole, but her chip was within an inch to win.
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