Beautiful caddies” who aim for the top in women’s professional golf with their sisters.
Hikaru Yoshimoto, a member of the golden generation who won her first victory at the Meiji Yasuda Seimei Ladies Yokohama Tire Golf Tournament, the second round of this season’s women’s golf tournament in Japan, in March, has someone who supports her life on tour. That is her sister Momoka, who is one year older than her. She accompanies Hikaru on tour as his manager and also serves as his caddie on the course.
Momoka was originally a competitor herself, but when Yoshimoto turned pro, she decided to take on a supporting role. Soon after, he began to take on the role of caddie as well, and this year, “I plan to play in most of the tournaments,” Momoka says, as the two continue to work together. They are good friends who go shopping together, and she was always there to support her younger sister when she fell into a slump from 2021 and lost her seeding in November of that year. She was one of those who believed in the resurgence of her younger sister, Hikaru, when she said, “First, I’ll try for five more years.
Momoka, who is currently studying to become a teaching professional, was outside the ropes to witness her sister’s moment of joy when Yoshimoto won the tournament for the first time on March 12. When asked about her feelings toward her family upon winning the championship, Hikaru burst into tears and said, “They encouraged me so much even when I was bad… I can only thank them,” choking on her words as she expressed her feelings.
Hikaru said, “I think my family would want that, too. Last week, Momoka caddied for the first time this season at the Axare Ladies, where they competed for the victory until the final day on March 26. Although she did not win the tournament, she finished in a respectable 3rd place, reminding us of the importance of her sister Momoka’s presence. The Yoshimoto sisters are off to a good start this season, and we may see more of them in the future.
Sisters are often seen playing together on the women’s tour, and Yuka Yasuda, a member of the platinum generation born in 2000, is often accompanied by her older sister Miyu, who is three years her senior, and carries her bag. Miyu also continued to play golf through college, and after graduation she worked for a company, but they first teamed up at the Ito En Ladies in November 2020, Yuka’s first season as a professional. This season, she has already supported her sister as a caddie at the Meiji Yasuda Seimei Ladies, which Yoshimoto won for the first time as mentioned at the beginning of this article, and at the following T Point x ENEOS Golf, the third domestic women’s tournament.
Like Chinese national Seki Yu-Ting and her sister Yuuri, who won their first Japan Tour title last season, Waki Yuan-Hua and her sister Sakura, who were seeded for the first time in 2019, and popular golden generation player Usui Reika and her sister Ranze, younger sisters who aspire to become professionals are helping their younger sisters “study” to become professionals. In many cases, younger sisters who aspire to become professionals caddie for their older sisters who are professional players in order to “study. There must be a lot to gain just by experiencing the play and management of the top pros up close, and this experience should help them pass the professional test.
Caddies, who are the only ones who can give advice during a match, are also required to do more than carry bags, such as reading lines on the green, helping players choose clubs, and sometimes giving them a pep talk. Having a familiar presence next to the caddie should be reassuring and relaxing. We will continue to keep an eye on this sister duo, who are both aiming for the top of the women’s golf world!
