Shiho Kuwaki, 21, Achieves Tearful Tour Victory, Receives Congratulations DM from Hinako Shibuno

The 5th annual Shiseido Ladies Open, which took place this year, was shortened to a 54-hole competition due to rain canceling the second day, June 28th. Last year, Shiho Kuwaki (21), who lost in a playoff at the same tournament, secured her first tour victory with a total of 11 under par.

 

“I came back to reclaim what I left behind last year, so I’m really glad I could do it.”

 

She avenged the disappointment from a year ago, tears streaming down her cheeks in the drizzling rain. 

In the previous tournament, Shiho Kuwaki was a contender for the title but faced defeat in a playoff, intensifying her determination for this event.

On June 26th, the day before the qualifying rounds, Kuwaki sensed an unseen force guiding her towards victory ever since her participation in the Pro-Am event. Reflecting on her inaugural win, Kuwaki shared in her post-victory interview:

“The guest I played alongside had previously competed with Hinako-chan (Hinako Shibuno) in a Pro-Am match. At that time, her caddy was Minoru Kadota back in ’19 when she secured her victory.”

In this tournament,  Kadota was also Kuwaki’s caddy. On the final day, June 30th, leading by one stroke, she missed the green to the left rough with her second shot on the 18th hole.

 

“It seems it was a similar situation when Shibuno won, and Hinako-chan missed her approach shot there too. (Kadota-san said) ‘It’s exactly the same situation,’ as we discussed.”

 

Without rushing, her approach shot came close to within 1 meter of the pin, securing her first victory.

Kuwaki, like Shibuno, hails from Okayama Prefecture. Influenced by her father, Masatoshi, she started playing golf at the age of four. Despite a four-grade difference, Kuwaki and Shibuno exchanged greetings at junior and amateur championships, where Shibuno, an admired older sister figure, always greeted her warmly. When Shibuno won the “China Women’s Amateur Golf Championship” in 2014 during her first year at Okayama Sakuyo High School, Kuwaki achieved consecutive victories in the same tournament in 2017 and 2018, during her third year of junior high and first year of high school, respectively. Though they don’t communicate frequently, Kuwaki has always looked up to Shibuno and followed in her footsteps.

After turning professional, Shibuno became the inaugural champion of the Shiseido Ladies Open about a month before achieving a historic milestone by winning her first overseas major, the “Women’s British Open” in 2019. Kuwaki, who watched the event on television, reportedly exclaimed excitedly, “She did something amazing!” Her father, Masatoshi, revealed this during an interview with the magazine.

“I didn’t say it out loud, but I think at that time, feelings like ‘I can do it too’ and ‘I want to play overseas’ started to sprout within me.”

These hidden feelings manifested in her training during the off-season before the start of this season.

“Looking to go to America in the future, I wanted to experience it firsthand to understand what it’s like.” Kuwaki said, as she embarked on an American training camp before the season began. She traveled to the U.S. with her new coach, Osamu Nakamura, who is also a professional golfer, and physiotherapist Kazuhisa Kokusugi, who accompanied the Tokyo Olympics as a trainer.

 

“Since the trainer was with us, we did quite a bit of training. I didn’t change my playing style drastically, but rather polished what I already had.” (Kuwaki explained)

 

After securing her first victory, Shiho Kuwaki received an unexpected direct message (DM) on Instagram from Hinako Shibuno, who made headlines on June 29th for achieving a hole-in-one on the LPGA Tour in America.

 

“Congratulations, you did great!” the message read.

 

Despite not having a particularly familiar relationship, the fact that her respected senior from the same hometown had noticed and cared was deeply meaningful to Kuwaki.

 

“I was really happy to receive the DM. I always think America seems so free, and I also prefer freedom, so I’d like to go there someday.” (Kuwaki shared)

 

Having tasted the joy of victory, Kuwaki may not be far from following in the footsteps of her esteemed senior by challenging the U.S. tour herself.