The “Four Teachings” that made up the Iwai Sisters, who are always in contention for victory in women’s professional golf this season and “can still be recited today.
However, this “kindness” may seem to be an element that may get in the way of winning. What attracts attention is the two’s ability to switch from one situation to another. A professional coach said, “The two are usually cheerful and friendly, but once they swing their clubs, you can sense that they have a great spirit, as if they are concentrating to the utmost limit. Their ability to switch from one situation to the next is amazing.
In mid-May at the “RKB x Mitsui Matsushima Ladies” golf tournament, the two sisters played together in the final group on the second day, as they did in the playoff. However, there was hardly any conversation between the two sisters during the 18 holes, and Mami Fukuda, the other senior player who was playing with them, recalled with a laugh, “They didn’t talk much, so I wondered what I should do in between. The course was filled with a sense of urgency. However, this balance may be what makes it possible to have both “gentleness” and “strength” at the same time.
In the match in Fukuoka, the two sisters set several milestones: the first-ever playoff between sisters, the first-ever championship in the same year between sisters, and the first-ever one-two finish between sisters. In 2021, their debut year, Meia won the Sanyo Shimbun Ladies Cup, the next round after Chirei won the Castrol Ladies, her first professional victory on the lower tours, making it the first time in history that two sisters won two consecutive tournaments.
After the sisters’ playoff, the elder sister said, “I am 80% disappointed, but 20% happy because Chirei won. Next time, I will win! she said honestly. On the other hand, Chirei, the winner, said, “It was a lot of fun. （I want to win (next time, too)! I want to win (again)! The sisters are always together, both on and off the course. The friendly rivalry between the sisters will continue in the future. In the world of sports, it may be cruel to see who wins and who loses. Even so, the sisters must feel a great sense of satisfaction in having made their dream come true: “We had talked about wanting to play in the playoffs someday,” said Chirei.
Their professional life has just begun. Their professional careers have just begun, and their father’s life of going here and there on the course is likely to continue for the foreseeable future.
