Can the Late-Blooming Generation Surpass the Golden Generation? New Golfers Celebrate Passing the Pro Test

Eight players passed the test by “slipping in” at 4-over.

From October 29 to November 1, the 2012 Japan Ladies Professional Golfers’ Association (JLPGA) final professional test was held at Oarai Golf Club in Ibaraki Prefecture, one of the most prestigious courses in Japan. The course is a seaside course facing the Pacific Ocean, which makes it especially difficult to play on days with strong sea breezes, and the players were forced to battle against the wind on many occasions.

The passing line varied between a total score of 3-over and 4-over, and the 4-over players nervously watched the score reports, happy or sad. After all the players holed out, there were no players at 3-over, and the eight players at 4-over tied for 19th place, which was the passing line. When the scores were finalized, the tears of frustration turned to tears of joy for the 4-over players, who had now qualified for the professional ranks.

While waiting for the scores to be determined, Kanako Aoki (24), who holed out at 4-over on her sixth attempt, was asked, “If you pass, what generation would you like to be called? When I asked her, “What generation would you like to be called? When I asked her, “ What generation would you like to be called?” she replied jokingly, “Only the plus-four generation (laughs). We interviewed three of those who had “slipped up” and passed the exam.