Erika Hara’s Ambition for the U.S. Lower-Tier Tour

The dream of participating in the U.S. tour, for the second year in a row, is shattered.

On December 15, Erika Hara (25, NIPPON EXPRESS Holdings), a five-time tour winner in women’s golf, attended an event at Takashimaya in Shinjuku, Tokyo, and passionately shared her aspirations for the upcoming season.

Hara had participated in the final qualifying event (Q Series) for the U.S. tour held in Alabama, USA, until December 9 (December 10, Japan time), and after the fourth day, she finished with a cumulative score of 3 over par. She fell one shot short of the cut line, which was tied for 65th, and missed the final round. This event took place after her return to Japan.

Competing on the U.S. tour, the world’s highest level stage, had always been Hara’s dream. In her first attempt at last year’s qualifying event, she was disqualified due to a score error, facing a setback in international competition where golf rules are strictly enforced. Overcoming that frustration, she challenged the final qualifying event again this year. Over the past year, she honed her skills through training and matches both domestically and internationally, preparing herself for the challenge.

Although Hara did not succeed, five other Japanese players—Mimuyu Yamashita, Chirei Iwai, Akane Iwai, Yuri Yoshida, and Saki Baba—made it through the final qualifying event. This means that 13 Japanese players, including Ayaka Furue, Nasa Hataoka, Yuka Sasao, Mao Saigo, Hinako Shibuno, Minami Katsu, Yuna Nishimura, and Reo Takeda, who won the “TOTO Japan Classic,” will compete in the 2025 U.S. LPGA Tour.

Reflecting on her second consecutive disappointing result in the final qualifying event, Hara said:

“I’m challenging myself to do what I want to do, so I was able to stay focused without getting tired. But, since my form didn’t improve, there was uncertainty and suffering.”

However, regarding her impression of the Magnolia Grove GC course in Alabama, where the qualifying event was held, she said:

“There’s definitely a sense of freedom, and attacking narrow areas of the course seems to be more beneficial. It feels like the course design rewards those who challenge it.”

As a three-time domestic major winner, Hara clearly finds the U.S. tour courses appealing. That’s why, immediately after failing the qualifying event, she declared her intention to compete in the lower-tier tour. She is determined to climb step by step toward the dream stage.

Her resolution for next year is “E”.

She also had her own unique approach when it came to coordinating her competition outfit. Even with the often chaotic color combinations, she prefers to keep it within three colors. She believes that combining navy and white gives a sharp, clean look, so her competition outfit for the final day often includes those colors.

On the other hand, she dislikes the color red. As a brand that frequently uses red in their women’s wear, the staff tends to get frustrated with her preferences. The reason she dislikes it is that it’s too intense. Back in 2017, before the professional test that year, she used to wear a lot of red for her competition outfits, but she began to feel that it was just too much when she wore it. After reading a book about the power of colors, she learned that red is fiery.

“I realized it was too persistent. I was wearing red nails and red clothes, and then when I failed the professional test, I was devastated. That’s when I decided—navy it is.”

Since then, she has avoided wearing red for important matches, and the following year, she successfully passed the professional test.

At the end of the event, when asked to write her resolution for the next year in a single kanji character, Hara unexpectedly wrote the letter “E” in Roman letters on the colored paper. When the audience was confused, she explained:

“There are three meanings. The first is ‘Early and Late’ – I want to be immersed in golf day and night. The second is ‘Energetic’ – with everything going on, I want to approach it energetically and passionately. The third is ‘Enjoy’ – I want to enjoy everything and make the most of the year. And it also represents ‘E’ for Erika.”

She then passionately spoke about her determination for the upcoming season, saying, “I want to enjoy and win more than last year. Thank you for your support!”

Next season, as the U.S. lower-tier tour becomes her main battleground, she hopes to achieve strong results and secure a spot in the regular tour by being among the top point earners. Enjoy!