JLPGA: 2015 Fujisankei Ladies Classic

more pics and leaderboard on my blog: Hikari Fujita Wins 2015 Fujisankei Ladies Classic (JLPGA)



Hikari Fujita





I’ve watched a lot of of LPGA and JLPGA tournaments this year. So far, I’d label this the year of the playoffs. Perhaps the continued globalization of the women’s game has forced the top players to raise their games to the point where it’s more difficult for one person to lap the field in most events. Whatever the reason, it looked as if the 2015 Fujisankei Ladies Classic was on its way to yet another playoff to determine a winner. Five players went to the 18th hole at 6-under while another player, first round leader Ayaka Matsumori, went there at 7-under…but then bogeyed the hole to drop back into 6-under pack. Heck, there were so many players tied at 6-under it might have needed two threesomes to conduct the playoff. Instead, 20-year old Hikari Fujita was the lone player among those tied at 6-under to birdie the final hole, seizing her first JLPGA victory at 7-under. That makes it back to back weeks with maiden victories as Erika Kikuchi broke through for her first win last week at the KKT Cup Vantelin Ladies Open. Although the day deservedly goes to Fujita, I feel for Ayaka Matsumori. Like Hikari Fujita, Ayaka is also a young 20-year old player. She was cruising through the first round and a half at 7-under until she bogeyed 3 of the last 4 holes in round 2. But then she stormed back from 4-under to start round 3 to get to 9-under after the 12th hole. Then once again she crumbled down the stretch, bogeying 3 of the last 5 holes. All credit to Hikari Fujita, but Ayaka Matsumori had so many chances to win this event. Nonetheless, Hikari adds her name to a long list of winners at the Fujisankei Ladies Classic that reads like a who’s who of JLPGA history, including Ayako Okamoto, Ai-Yu Tu and Hiroko Kobayashi. 15-time LPGA winner Sally Little won Fujisankei in 1987. Finally, South Korean golf pioneer Ok-Hee Ku won this event in 2002. Ku was the first South Korean player to win an event on the LPGA Tour, the 1988 Standard Register Turquoise Classic. Unfortunately, Ms. Ku is no longer with us, passing away in 2013 from a heart attack at age 56.






1 HIKARI FUJITA (-7)

















T2 BO-MEE LEE (-6)









T2 AYAKA MATSUMORI (-6)









T2 JUNKO OMOTE (-6)





T2 NA-RI KIM (-6)





T2 YUKI ICHINOSE (-6)