The Japan LPGA Championship Konica Minolta Cup makes its return to the Japan LPGA schedule this week, promising to showcase the best of women’s golf from the region.
Inaugurated in 1968, the Japan LPGA Championship Konica Minolta Cup is one of the pioneering tournaments in JLPGA Tour history along with the Japan Women’s Open, which was also founded in the same year.
It is also one of the four major events of the JLPGA Tour including the World Ladies Championship and the season-ending Japan LPGA Tour Championship.
Yuting Shi
China’s Yuting Shi could not have asked for a better stage to mark her 100th JLPGA Tour appearance as she seeks to contend for a historic win in the ¥200,000,000 Japan LPGA Championship Konica Minolta Cup which gets underway on Thursday.
Shi, 24, will enter the fray at Joyo Country Club in Kyoto brimming with confidence after securing her breakthrough JLPGA Tour victory at the Alpen Group 50th Anniversary Golf 5 Ladies Pro Golf Tournament in Chiba last Sunday.
The feat made her the first Chinese golfer to win in Japan since Wanyao Lu in 2017, and only fifth overall in the Tour’s history besides Shanshan Feng (seven-time winner), Zhang Na (four) and Liying Ye (one).
But Shi has a shot at creating a legacy of her own by becoming the first Chinese to be crowned winner of the prestigious Japan LPGA Championship Konica Minolta Cup.
Shi will be making her fourth Japan LPGA Championship Konica Minolta Cup appearance after coming in a creditable 15th at Shizu Hills Country Club in Ibaraki last year.
The other international competitors looking aiming to excel and cash in the mouth-watering ¥36,000,000 top prize include former champions Jiyai Shin (2018), Jihee Lee (2017) and Bomee Lee (2013) of South Korea and Chinese Taipei’s Teresa Lu (2015).
Another South Korean Minyoung Lee, who had just won the Hokkaido Meiji Cup for her sixth JLPGA Tour title early last month, is expected to mount a serious title challenge alongside Peiying Tsai of Taiwan, who’s the only other international victor this season after winning the Meiji Yasuda Life Ladies Yokohama Tire Golf Tournament.
Defending champion Mone Inami and current Mercedes Ranking leader Miyuu Yamashita will lead a strong list of the local contingent to fend off fierce competition from the internationals.
All eyes will also be on Mai Sago as she seeks to return to winning ways following a fantastic start to the season where she ruled five titles between March and May, while 17-time JLPGA Tour winner Ai Suzuki will also set her sights on a third victory in the tournament after tasting success in 2014 and 2016.
The tournament features a full 132-woman field before being reduced to top-60 and ties after 36 holes.
