<figure id="attachment_266828" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-266828" style="width: 6000px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="f42892a4"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2022/09/aflo_195830776.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-266828" class="wp-caption-text">Sakiki Baba won the U.S. Women&#8217;s Amateur Championship in August for the first time in 37 years.</figcaption></figure>
 Japanese women&#8217;s golf phenom Sakiki Baba entered the Japan Women&#8217;s Open, which opened on September 29, as a specially-approved player. She was joined by last year&#8217;s champion Minami Katsu and Mao Saigo, who is ranked 2nd in the Mercedes ranking.
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 The 17-year-old&#8217;s driver from her 175.3-centimeter height is dynamic and dynamic.
 The official website of the Japan Golf Association (JGA) introduces her as a member of the women&#8217;s national team, saying that she is good with the driver and that her average distance is 270 yards. She is a nonchalant type of player and says, &#8220;I want to show golfers that I aim for the pin like I did at the U.S. Amateur,&#8221; and her aggressive style of play, reminiscent of Hinako Shibuno at the 1919 Women&#8217;s British Open, is also an attraction. Her bullish style of play, reminiscent of Hinoko Shibuno in the &#8217;19 Women&#8217;s British Open, is also one of her charms.
 Baba failed to qualify for the &#8220;Sumitomo Ladies Tokai Classic,&#8221; her first tournament back in Japan, and experienced the rigors of the professional game. This time
 &#8220;I hope I can compete well over the four days,&#8221; Baba said quietly.
 This time around, Baba is quietly fighting to win the tournament.
 Speaking of amateur winners, Nasa Hataoka, who was 17 at the time, became the first amateur to win on the Tour in 2004; while Hataoka was born in January, Baba was born in April. If she wins, she will break the record for the youngest player ever.
 The competition for the top prize is said to be fierce behind the scenes.
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 In the case of golf, there are four main types of contracts: affiliation contract, club contract, wear contract, and management contract. Among them, management companies are already starting to take action due to the rapid increase in the number of athletes who are active overseas. In recent years, major entertainment companies are strengthening their &#8216;sports divisions,'&#8221; said a sports newspaper reporter.
 In the case of the sports business, it depends on the success of the athlete.
 In the case of the sports business, it depends on the success of the players, but in general, wear and club manufacturers negotiate directly with the players, but when it comes to sponsorship contracts, the management companies have a great deal to do. In addition, Baba has always said that his dream is to win a major overseas, which is why many management companies have approached him about a contract.
 Baba&#8217;s side, however, is said to be cool about it. A tour official said, &#8220;Baba&#8217;s staff said, &#8216;He&#8217;s not ready to sign yet.
 Baba&#8217;s staff laughed and said, &#8220;It&#8217;s not nice to talk to a 17-year-old girl. One of the options is to go to college in the U.S. after passing next year&#8217;s professional test,&#8221; said Baba&#8217;s father, a tour official.
 For example, even the prestigious UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) is available with a scholarship, and Baba himself said, &#8220;I&#8217;m thinking of going from the U.S. tour to the Japanese tour or to a U.S. university. Baba himself is undecided about his career path.
 The title of U.S. Women&#8217;s Amateur V is so prestigious that Baba has even more surprising plans.
 She says that IMG Academy, one of the world&#8217;s leading boarding schools, is one of her options. Kei Nishikori of tennis and Mika Miyazato of golf have already graduated from IMG Academy.
 Finally, the 17-year-old rising star will shine on the domestic tour.

 AP/Afro

 Sakiki Baba won the U.S. Women's Amateur Championship this past August, the first Japanese winner in 37 years since Michiko Hattori in 1985. She will be competing in the Japan Women's Open, which opens this week...

U.S. Amateur Champion, Sakiki Baba, Already in the Battle for the “Japan Women’s Open”!

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