(NAGOYA, JAPAN – Sunday 6th December, 2015) Hosts Japan led from start to finish to earn an historic home victory at The Queens presented by Kowa, an innovative new match play tournament between four of the world’s leading women’s golf tours: the Ladies European Tour (LET), Australian Ladies Professional Golf Association (ALPG), Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) and LPGA of Japan (JLPGA).
After going into the final round at Miyoshi Country Club with an eight point lead over Korea, the Japanese team ended with 41 points, just three ahead of the Koreans, who won eight of their nine singles matches. The LET team finished third with the ALPG in fourth.
“I’m relieved and delighted at the same time. We worked superbly as a team, and our team spirit was definitely the key in the decisive moments,” said the elated Japanese captain, Momoko Ueda. “It turned out to be a tight contest in the end, but the players’ performances were superb throughout. It was a special experience and an honour to play alongside such wonderful players and I’m sure that this victory will mean a lot to everyone playing on the JLPGA Tour.”
The Japanese team won six and halved one of their nine singles matches, earning 19 points in bitterly cold conditions on Sunday and Misuzu Narita led the way in the top match with a 6&5 win over Catriona Matthew. Korea earned 14 points in the singles, starting in the second match when Jin Young Ko beat Whitney Hillier on the last hole but the outcome remained in the balance for much of the day.
In the third match, Dame Laura Davies, the LET team captain, beat Australian Sarah Kemp by 2&1 in a thrilling match that went to the 17th. Davies was four up before Kemp eagled the long 15th to keep the match alive and the captain also lost the short 16th after her tee shot took a hard bounce left into a small valley.
“I actually played really well tee to green but didn’t make many putts,” said Davies. “Kempy didn’t have her best day on the greens; she missed a lot of greens, but it was one of those matches where it was tough to finish her off.” Karine Icher added a half point for the LET in the 15th match against Japan’s Erina Hara, earning the LET team four points from the singles. Icher was one-up coming down 18 before Hara hit her approach shot stone dead. “It was a good match and we both played well,” said Icher, whose birdie attempt from 20 metres hit the hole on the last green. “On the 18th I hoped for a miracle but we halved the match, it was tight all the way through.
“The Japanese and Koreans have some very good players, so they are hard to beat. We are the only team where we have to combine nationalities, so it’s hard to fight that team spirit. It’s a good experience, good tournament and crowd. I hope we continue for the next few years.”
Sarah-Jane Smith finally got a full point on the board for Australia with a 5&4 victory over Emily Kristine Pedersen before her captain Rachel Hetherington secured another win for Australia with a 2&1 win over Marianne Skarpnord giving the ALPG six points on the last day.
Hetherington commented: “I’d like to say how proud I am of our team. It was a fierce competition and we didn’t have as many points as we’d have liked, but we had a great experience and were thrilled to be a part of the event, so I’m very proud of all the girls.”
For Davies, it was a tough outcome but the inaugural match was a great collaboration between golf’s global tours. She said: “Our team is very disappointed because we needed to be a little bit closer to have a chance today but the Japanese and Korean teams played so well. The whole team has enjoyed it and the LET as a tour is really happy to be playing in The Queens presented by Kowa. We’ve really enjoyed it and I hope it’s the first of many. Congratulations to Japan because they played very well.”
Results
(3 points are awarded for a win and 1 point to each team for a halved match)
Friday Fourball Results:
Match 1
Ayaka Watanabe and Erika Kikuchi (JLPGA) beat Laura Davies and Melissa Reid (LET) 6 and 4
Match 2
In Gee Chun and Yoon Ji Cho (KLPGA) beat Katherine Kirk and Nikki Garrett (ALPG) 4 and 3
Match 3
Hannah Burke and Emily Kristine Pedersen (LET) beat Sarah Kemp and Sarah Jane Smith (ALPG) 4 and 3
Match 4
Shiho Oyama and Misuzu Narita (JLPGA) beat Seon Woo Bae and Jin Young Ko (KLPGA) 2 and 1.
Match 5
Ritsuko Ryu and Miki Sakai (JLPGA) beat Rachel Hetherington and Whitney Hillier (ALPG) 4 and 3.
Match 6
Jung Min Lee and Min Sun Kim (KLPGA) beat Gwladys Nocera and Marianne Skarpnord (LET) 1 up
Match 7
Momoko Ueda and Erina Hara (JLPGA) beat Lindsey Wright and Stephanie Na (ALPG) 6 and 5
Match 8
Catriona Matthew and Karine Icher (LET) halved with Sung Hyun Park and Bo-Mee Lee (KLPGA)
Cumulative Scores:
JLPGA: 12
KLPGA: 7
LET: 4
ALPG: 0
Saturday Foursomes Results:
Match 1
Hannah Burke and Melissa Reid (LET) halved with Shiho Oyama and Narita (JLPGA)
Match 2
Sarah Kemp and Sarah Jane Smith (ALPG) halved with Sung Hyun Park and Min Sun Kim (KLPGA)
Match 3
Ritsuko Ryu and Akane Iijima (JLPGA) beat Rachel Hetherington and Whitney Hillier (ALPG) 2&1
Match 4
Yoon Ji Cho and Jung Min Lee (KLPGA) beat Marianne Skarpnord and Emily Kristine Pedersen (LET) 2 up
Match 5
Ayaka Watanabe and Erika Kikuchi (JLPGA) beat Catriona Matthew and Gwladys Nocera (LET) 2&1
Match 6
Jin Young Ko and Bo-Mee Lee (KLPGA) beat Lindsey Wright and Nikki Garrett (ALPG) 3&2
Match 7
Karine Icher and Nanna Koertz Madsen (LET) beat Katherine Kirk and Nikki Campbell (ALPG) 4&3
Match 8
Momoko Ueda and Erina Hara (JLPGA) beat Sei Young Kim and In Gee Chun (KLPGA) 5&4
Cumulative Scores:
JLPGA: 22
KLPGA: 14
LET: 8
ALPG: 1
Sunday Singles Results:
Match 1 Misuzu Narita (JLPGA) beat Catriona Matthew (LET) 6&5
Match 2 Jin Young Ko (KLPGA) beat Whitney Hillier (ALPG) 1 up
Match 3 Laura Davies (LET) beat Sarah Kemp (ALPG) 2&1
Match 4 Min Sun Kim (KLPGA) beat Shiho Oyama (JLPGA) 3&2
Match 5 Akane Iijima (JLPGA) beat Lindsey Wright (ALPG) 4&2
Match 6 Sei Young Kim (KLPGA) beat Melissa Reid (LET) 5&4
Match 7 Seon Woo Bae (KLPGA) beat Stephanie Na (ALPG) 5&4
Match 8 Erika Kikuchi (JLPGA) beat Gwladys Nocera (LET) 4&3
Match 9 Sarah Jane Smith (ALPG) beat Emily Kristine Pedersen (LET) 5&4
Match 10 Ayaka Watanabe (JLPGA) beat Yoon Ji Cho (KLPGA) 1 up
Match 11 Bo-Mee Lee (KLPGA) beat Hannah Burke (LET) 3&2
Match 12 Ritsuko Ryu (JLPGA) beat Katherine Kirk (ALPG) 5&4
Match 13 In Gee Chun (KLPGA) beat Nanna Koerstz Madsen (LET) 6&4
Match 14 Miki Sakai (JLPGA) beat Nikki Campbell (ALPG) 7&6
Match 15 Karine Icher (LET) halved with Erina Hara (JLPGA)
Match 16 Jung Min Lee (KLPGA) beat Nikki Garrett (ALPG) 4&3
Match 17 Rachel Hetherington (ALPG) beat Marianne Skarpnord (LET) 2&1
Match 18 Sung Hyun Park (KLPGA) beat Momoko Ueda (JLPGA) 5&4
Cumulative Scores:
JLPGA: 41
KLPGA: 38
LET: 12
ALPG: 7
