Moromizato tries to cap great year with 3rd major

November 26, 2009

The Japan womens tour will experience perhaps its most climactic final week ever as three red-hot players tee off today in the first round of the season-ending LPGA Tour Championship Ricoh Cup in Miyazaki, each trying to capture her first career money title.

Shinobu Moromizato, Sakura Yokomine and Chie Arimura–who each have won at least five titles this season–figure to battle down to the wire in the seasons final major.

Moromizato, who has six wins and leads the money standings with 155.4 million yen, hopes to become the first JLPGA player to win three of four Grand Slam events in one season and complete a career slam with a victory Sunday at the par-72 Miyazaki Country Club.

The 23-year-old, who took the 2007 Japan Womens Open title, has won two majors, the World Ladies Salonpas Cup and the Japan LPGA Championship Konica Minolta Cup.

What gets Moromizato even more fired up is the fact that she can earn a 10-year exemption to play on the JLPGA Tour if she wins her third major of the year, a victory that pays 25 million yen to the winner.

I want to clinch the money title by winning here if I have a chance, said Moromizato after a soggy practice on Tuesday. She has played in every tour event this season and made every cut along the way.

Moromizato tees off today at 10:27 a.m. with her closest rival Yokomine, who has won five tour events this year and trails the money leader by about 5.4 million yen.

Yokomine, who won the Itoen Ladies two weeks ago to stay in contention, wants to follow in the footsteps of Miho Koga, who came from behind to win her first money title last year as Yuri Fudo turned a 3-foot birdie try into a three-putt disaster on the final day of the final event.

Although Yokomine lost some steam last week–finishing in a tie for 37th–the 23-year-old, who has a tour-best 70.429 scoring average this season, has a tough hill to climb.

She has to finish sixth or better if Moromizato finishes last–23rd place.

Fresh off a victory last week at the Daio Paper Elleair Open, Arimura is trying to become the third Kumamoto native to capture the money title in as many years. Arimura, about 17 million yen behind Moromizato, would follow Koga in 2008 and Momoko Ueda in 2007.

I would definitely like to retain the Kumamoto domination on the tour, said the 22-year-old.

I think I can play my best by staying cool in clutch situations. I have nothing to lose–just go out and play 72 holes. So Ill just try my best, she said.

Arimura can win the money title with a victory at the event should Yokomine finish in a tie for second or lower and Moromizato tie for fourth or lower.

Meanwhile, U.S. LPGA regular Ai Miyazato has to tee off today without a practice round because she played on Monday in the rain-hampered U.S. LPGA season-ending LPGA Championship.