Women’s Pro Golfers Reveal No Shock Over Triple Bogey Affair in Anonymous Talk

Insiders who know the inside thoroughly reveal candidly the top-secret latest situation

This season in women’s golf has been anything but dull. Of the top five earners from last season, four have moved on to challenge the U.S. tour. Meanwhile, in the fiercely competitive domestic tour, new heroines seem to emerge at almost every tournament.

However, just before the season opener, a scandal rocked the scene: the so-called “Triple Bogey Affair” involving three popular pros, including the 2022 major champion Haruka Kawasaki (22), and caddie Ryo Kurinaga (30).

To delve into the turbulent undercurrents of the women’s golf world, an urgent roundtable was held with insiders. Tournament operations official A, renowned pro trainer B, and golf writer C—known for his sharp ears—revealed the real faces behind the popular players.

 

Ryo Kurinaga’s bad reputation with women was well known

A: “First, we have to talk about the triple bogey affair. While it was shocking to the public, honestly, within the industry, it was more like, ‘Finally, it came out.'”

B: “Kurinaga’s bad habit with women was well-known. Once, around 9 p.m. at a hotel, I even ran into him coming out of a female pro golfer’s room—different from the three involved this time. There was definitely the scent of women’s perfume and that ‘after-effect’ vibe. What’s impressive about him is he doesn’t panic; he even greets you confidently (laughs).”

C: “His womanizing was so notorious that some insiders sarcastically said, ‘Good thing it was just a triple.’ If he really had been involved with more, it would be terrifying.”

B: “The term ‘Kurinaga Seed’ was coined. Because Kawasaki missed the first five tournaments of the season, one tournament slot opened. Players barely making the cut watched the entry lists each event, desperately calculating if they’d get in as a replacement.”

A: “Unfortunately, there are other affair caddies involved with players. D, a skilled pro with tour wins, was reportedly enjoying night rounds with a married caddy he worked with. When his affair was discovered by the caddy’s wife, he paid several million yen in hush money.

What’s surprising is that while the affair was exposed and the caddy was removed, and while they were fighting over compensation, D’s performance rapidly improved and he even won a tournament. People joked, ‘Maybe that thick skin is the secret to his strength’ (laughs).”

C: “In March last year, it was reported that pro Asuka Kashiwabara (29) had an affair with a famous caddy, leading to a messy lawsuit with the caddy’s wife over compensation. Not an affair, but in 2015, pro Hikari Fujita (30) had a huge argument with her close caddy Junichi Oe over playing strategy during a tournament.”

There are affair partners besides just the caddy

Mr. B: “It’s not only caddies that players have relationships with. A famous pro, E, was reportedly having an affair with a representative from the club manufacturer they were contracted with. When rumors later spread that they had broken up, people whispered that their contract wasn’t renewed.

The rising young star F, known for her long drives, is rumored to be having an affair with a patron. Despite the man having a family, he often shows up at tournaments in a luxury car, and the two leave together. The man says, ‘I’m going to leave my wife,’ and it seems F believes him.”

Mr. C: “Still, why do they have relationships so close to their work environment?”

Mr. A: “Probably because they have fewer opportunities to meet men outside of golf. In the past, the two months of December to January off-season were known as the matchmaking season. They appeared on TV or did self-training in Okinawa with athletes from other sports. But since COVID, those kinds of interactions have declined. Don’t you think that’s even more true for younger pros who turned pro after the pandemic, like the three involved in the ‘triple bogey affair’?”

Mr. C: “That’s right. ‘Friday’ magazine has scooped several stories about female pros’ romances, from Miho Koga (42) and Takeshi Nishioka (40) to Hinako Shibuno (26) and former TV Tokyo announcer Kasuga Nozawa (35) in ’21. If I recall, Koga and Shibuno’s relationships began when they appeared together on TV with their partners during the off-season.”

Mr. A: “The so-called classic baseball player romance was last reported in ’23 with Erika Hara (26) and Yakult’s slugger Munetaka Murakami (25). But ironically, Hara was also rumored to be dating her caddy at the same time (laughs).”

Mr. B: “Young players today don’t party as much and aren’t as proactive about relationships. Caddies, being always close, naturally develop deeper relationships. But I want people to understand that only a few caddies are involved in affairs; the majority take their jobs seriously.”

Mr. A: “Since caddying in Japan isn’t a licensed profession, even complete amateurs can become caddies if a pro requests them. The Women’s Golf Association needs to take this scandal seriously and impose penalties on the involved players and caddies to maintain discipline.”

[Anonymous Roundtable – Part 2] Strongest Personality Female Pros. Industry Insiders Reveal Candidly the True Faces and Reputations of Popular Players

From the May 30, 2025 issue of “FRIDAY”