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Post by philknj on Oct 24, 2023 12:06:24 GMT
JFE Setonaikai Golf Club (it's Scottish links with palm trees), about 50 miles east of Hiroshima, will host the latest edition, Oct. 31 thru Nov. 3. The field is not posted yet.
The big news is that the last two days will be streamed on the JLPGA's YouTube channel ... to avoid disturbing the players, it will be done with local sounds only ... and without broadcast commentary ... and with fixed point cameras ... sort of like a throwback to 15 years ago at the Evian Masters.
I'll have to make a note later on which "names" are teeing off on #1 and when.
Japan time:
・Date and time: November 2, 2023 (Thursday) 7:50-16:00 (LIVE)
November 3rd (Friday) 7:50-15:30 Scheduled (LIVE)
・Relay holes: 1st, 7th, 8th, 9th, 16th, 17th, 18th, total 7 holes
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Post by philknj on Oct 30, 2023 11:07:47 GMT
The tee times of 101 players are posted, almost all of them going out in foursomes off split tees on Tuesday. All of them have a Getty portrait taken this week ... samples -
Ga Eun Song and Mini Ting Ting
Iron Yang and Danlin Cai
Suzuka Yamaguchi and Baba-chan  
Reika Miyako and Rino Sasaki
 
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Post by HappyFan on Oct 30, 2023 17:56:39 GMT
The tee times of 101 players are posted, almost all of them going out in foursomes off split tees on Tuesday. Link? |
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Post by philknj on Oct 31, 2023 0:16:32 GMT
I changed the title of this thread to match exactly what this particular qualifying series is called by the JLPGA. I did this after thinking about how you have to be top-50 in points at year-end to maintain your card. Someone like Yui (87 points) will almost certainly finish outside the top-50 at year-end, but when is her q-school for JLPGA members? I didn't see it before on the JLPGA website, but after further clicking, I found it ... two stages between Nov. 21 and Dec 1.
Groups for Round One of the Pro Test (below) ... the 'EN' button at the top-right of screen will NOT translate this page ... that's why I have to copy/paste into Google mush.
As for this week's Pro Test, it's pretty much amateurs, low level pros and foreign pros. There is no live scoreboard on the JLPGA website.
Mini Ting Ting in Round One
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Post by johnboy on Oct 31, 2023 10:54:06 GMT
This event is sort of like a pre qualifying tournament for the Q School in November/ December. Top 20 get go to first stage of Q School and also earn there card for Next years Step Up Tour Player finishing first goes straight to the final stage In regards to Yui depending on where she finally finishes up she may have to go through the two stages and then will get her ranking for next year's seeding. On another note, I read where the JLPGA Championship will no longer be sponsored by Konica Minolta after 37 years due to the event bumping up its Prize Money from 200 Million to 500 Million yen starting from 2024. A nice little pay rise for the players it seems  |
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Post by philknj on Oct 31, 2023 11:19:03 GMT
They'll have a cut after the third round to the top-80 plus ties or to anyone within 8 strokes of the leader. In the end, per an article using Bing mush, "the top-20 will qualify" ... does that mean those 20 get to play Japan's big tour automatically in 2024? Or do they become JLPGA pros with priority to be determined later? Will they get thrown into the later JLPGA q-school with current pros?
Google mush top-10:
POS PLAYER SCORE TODAY 1R 2R 3R 4R TOTAL
1T Aihime Takano -7 -7 65 65
1T Kiyomoto Minami -7 -7 65 65
3T Yuna Takagi -6 -6 66 66
3T Yoshizawa Yuzuki -6 -6 66 66
5T Marina Hayashi -5 -5 67 67
5T Yuna Araki -5 -5 67 67
5T Yuna Yogo -5 -5 67 67
8T Kaede Suga -4 -4 68 68
8T Ayumu Tokunaga -4 -4 68 68
8T Misaki Kamikubo -4 -4 68 68
********
11T Ga Eun Song -3 -3 69 69
11T Saki Baba -3 -3 69 69
11T Babe Liu -3 -3 69 69
22T Suzuka Yamaguchi -2 -2 70 70
34T Yuli Seki -1 -1 71 71
74T Iron Yang +2 +2 74 74
83T Danlin Cai +3 +3 75 75  |
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Post by philknj on Oct 31, 2023 11:35:44 GMT
This event is sort of like a pre qualifying tournament for the Q School in November/ December. Top 20 get go to first stage of Q School and also earn there card for Next years Step Up Tour Player finishing first goes straight to the final stage In regards to Yui depending on where she finally finishes up she may have to go through the two stages and then will get her ranking for next year's seeding. On another note, I read where the JLPGA Championship will no longer be sponsored by Konica Minolta after 37 years due to the event bumping up its Prize Money from 200 Million to 500 Million yen starting from 2024. A nice little pay rise for the players it seems
You posted this while I was working on my longer post afterward. 👍 Are you saying that only the player who finishes first gets into the later JLPGA q-school? So, if Ga Eun Song doesn't finish first, she'll earn the privilege of getting a pay cut on Japan's scrub tour in 2024?  Well, if she's the real deal, she won't be there that long. 💣 |
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Post by johnboy on Oct 31, 2023 11:53:35 GMT
That's right, so she better finish in the top 20 to get to stage 1 otherwise its goodbye to JLPGA in 2024. Top finisher goes straight final stage so there all vying for that position. JLPGA cards are given out in December.
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Post by HappyFan on Oct 31, 2023 13:46:19 GMT
How many stages of qualifying does this tour have? Ga Eun already did one earlier, she's doing one this week, and she has to do another after that? And the next one is 'stage one'?  Out of how many stages? Sheesh. She's #175 in the world y'know. And a KLPGA winner. The KLPGA has an international qualifier. You win, you qualify. One stage. A Thai woman named Kusuma Michai won it this year. https://www.instagram.com/p/CyVUnS0sv9X If you don't get in that way you can enter the normal qualifying for the tour but I doubt there are more than three rounds and probably two, I'd need to check. |
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Post by philknj on Nov 1, 2023 9:58:03 GMT
The "names" in the top-20 after Round Two -
5 Ga Eun Song -6
T6 Babe Liu -5
T14 Saki Baba -4
T18 Danlin Cai -3
Ga Eun Song ... she tees off at #1 at 10:01 AM (Japan time) on Thursday, so I assume a JLPGA YouTube static camera will pick her up there ... then you'll pick her up again at the 7th tee (if you don't blink).
KASAOKA, JAPAN - NOVEMBER 01: Gaeun Song of South Korea is seen before her tee shot on the 2nd hole during the second round of the JLPGA final Pro Test at JFE Setonaikai Golf Club on November 1, 2023 in Kasaoka, Okayama, Japan. (Photo by Atsushi Tomura/JLPGA via Getty Images)
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Post by johnboy on Nov 1, 2023 10:03:57 GMT
From the official JLPGA Website
JLPGA Player Certification Test System (JLPGA Pro Test)
The JLPGA holds a JLPGA Player Certification Test once a year. In order to train applicants with the skills, understanding, and knowledge of golf required by professional players and to be respectable members of society, the JLPGA focuses on teaching rules and manners from the first qualifying stage.
So basically this is not an actual Q school event, that event happens in two stages Stage 1(November), Final Stage (December) after the final full field event.
As to why foreign golfers would play this event is beyond me, why not just go straight to Q school.
In regards to having an International Qualifier, there is no need for that as foreign golfers have been competing on this tour since the early 80's and play the usual Q school event. I know in the past the past the was at least half a dozen aussie players who had there card in the 90's when i was living in Japan but that is no longer the case. The KLPGA has been a closed shop and is only now trying to get some international talent to play on the tour.
Having said that - there are some benefits i guess as you get access to the Step Up Tour and a spot in the final qualifying event if you finish first.
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Post by HappyFan on Nov 1, 2023 18:17:46 GMT
From the official JLPGA Website So basically this is not an actual Q school event, that event happens in two stages Stage 1(November), Final Stage (December) after the final full field event. As to why foreign golfers would play this event is beyond me, why not just go straight to Q school. I'm confused. You said earlier that if you don't finish top 20 here you can say goodbye to JLPGA for 2024. But apparently this is not even necessary to attend? Were you just incorrect before? |
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Post by SoYeonFan on Nov 1, 2023 18:36:11 GMT
"The JLPGA holds a JLPGA Player Certification Test once a year. In order to train applicants with the skills, understanding, and knowledge of golf required by professional players and to be respectable members of society, the JLPGA focuses on teaching rules and manners from the first qualifying stage."
I read the same statement on the JLPGA website and didn't understand why some golfers were playing.
These qualifying Tournaments can be so confusing sometimes
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Post by philknj on Nov 1, 2023 20:56:07 GMT
I'm reminded of a story when Frank Robinson reported to the LA Dodgers in 1972 ... someone from the front office gave him a handbook on playing baseball the Dodger way.  Rules are rules and Ga Eun Song is subject to them like all other foreign players ... but, really, requiring her to compete in a "Pro Test" is beneath her abilities. ******* The crude YT streaming for Round Three kicks in at 7:50 AM (Japan time) ... these players begin at the 1st tee: 8:00 AM Iron Yang 8:11 AM Momoka Kamiya 8:22 AM Suzuka Yamaguchi and Hinano Muguruma 8:33 AM Reika Miyako
9:17 AM Danlin Cai
9:28 AM Baba-chan 9:50 AM Babe Liu
10:01 AM Ga Eun Song
Mini Ting Ting (71-75-146) starts at #10 at 8:33 AM, so it'll be a while before she passes by one of the security cameras.  |
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Post by philknj on Nov 1, 2023 23:50:09 GMT
The JLPGA really undersold this video stream ... it is WAY better than a Ring camera on your doorbell ... different angles from everywhere, zooming in and out, etc. I see guys operating some of them, so it's not all by drone or remote control. The graphics don't have yardages for approach shots, but they have everything else, including the names in English. Not sure if every shot is LIVE ... just showed Iron Yang chipping in for birdie at the par-4 1st after the following group had teed off at #1. The only sounds are birds, golf balls being hit and construction motoring & banging not far away. Ga Eun Song will show up in about 70 minutes.
Iron Yang at #1 ... btw, she also competed in the 2022 JLPGA Pro Test
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Well, if she's the real deal, she won't be there that long. 💣
Out of how many stages? Sheesh. She's #175 in the world y'know. And a KLPGA winner.
Rules are rules and Ga Eun Song is subject to them like all other foreign players ... but, really, requiring her to compete in a "Pro Test" is beneath her abilities.