The nine-woman team representing the KLPGA dominated against the LPGA of Japan (JLPGA) Team in the ‘Championship Final’ to win The Queens presented by Kowa.
Captain Jiyai Shin’s nine-woman team representing the Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) won seven and halved one of their eight singles matches against the LPGA of Japan (JLPGA) Team in the ‘Championship Final’ at Miyoshi Country Club in Nagoya to win the second edition of The Queens presented by Kowa: the unique and innovative team match play event between the KLPGA, JLPGA, Ladies European Tour (LET) and Australian Ladies Professional Golf Tour (ALPG).
KLPGA captain Shin led by example with a dominant 5 and 4 win over Shiho Oyama in the top match, which was the first of seven consecutive singles victories for the Koreans, before Japan’s Kotone Hori gave the hosts reason to cheer when she halved the eighth and final match with Seung Hyun Lee.
Shin congratulated all of the tours and their captains, Risuko Ryu, Trish Johnson and Rachel Hetherington respectively. She said:
“I will take great memories from here. I’m very proud of my team because they played so solid today and I’m very impressed with them. This is the end of the season and a great event for all of us.”
JLPGA captain, Ritsuko Ryu, said: “Congratulations to the KLPGA: it was a great contest and an honour. We always think that the KLPGA players are fantastic. Our nine players, including myself, played to their absolute best and we don’t really have any regrets, but I think we can take this forward to next year’s event and this will give us the motivation to strive once again.”
In the ‘Third Place Final’ between the LET and ALPG, Johnson’s team defeated the ALPG by nine points to seven in a nail biting finish which came down to the last putt in the final match between Linda Wessberg and Stacey Keating.
After wins from LET players Georgia Hall, Catriona Matthew and Florentyna Parker and a half from the fifth match featuring Nanna Koerstz Madsen and Su-Hyun Oh, the teams were tied on seven points each.
One up with one to play but unaware of the significance of her match, Wessberg made a par four on the 18th to seal the result. Johnson said: “They put up a great fight at the end and made a lot of birdies. Fortunately Linda is made of stern stuff and I’m very relieved.”
First-time captain Johnson added: “I can honestly say it’s one of the best events I’ve ever been to. All the players will say what a pleasure it is to play in Japan.
The crowds are just fantastic, so respectful and just lovely to play with and we’ve even got a couple of fans actually! I saw a few European flags, which was pretty strange! It was just wonderful organisation and we were treated so well. If anybody has not been here and played in The Queens presented by Kowa then believe me, you want to play in it. It’s just sensational.”
ALPG Captain Hetherington commented: “I’m very proud of the ALPG Team and the girls gave every match their best and it was very close. I was pleased to be captain to these great girls and I hope it spurs them on to a great end of the season and look forward to next year.”
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