Inside Scoop: The True Faces of Top Female Golfers

A person who knows the ins and outs of the women’s golf world reveals the “latest secret” situation.

This season’s women’s golf world is full of buzz. Of last season’s top five money leaders, four have challenged the U.S. tour. In the fiercely competitive domestic tour, new heroines emerge in almost every tournament.

Meanwhile, just before the season opener, the triple bogey affair scandal involving popular pros—including 2022 major champion Haruka Kawasaki (22)—and caddie Ryo Kurinaga (30) caused a stir.

To delve into the turbulent women’s golf scene, an urgent roundtable was held with insiders. Tournament operations official A, well-known pro trainer B, and the keen-eared golf writer C revealed the real faces of the popular pros.

The two pros with the strongest personalities

In the first part of the roundtable discussion, we talked about the love lives of female pros, but what about their reputations beyond that—what are their real personalities like? When asked, the name that immediately came up was Shibuno Hinako, known as the “Smile Cinderella.”

Mr. C said, “Among caddies, Shibuno Hinako is ranked one or two in terms of popularity. Here you never know what she’ll do in a big tournament. Kind of unpredictability makes her a joy to play alongside.”

 

“As a writer, she’s very easy to interview because she often gives lip service. At the second domestic tour event this season that she participated in, rather than commenting on the course, she started reporting on the Dodgers’ opening series at the Tokyo Dome, which she had watched live. When asked about Roki Sasaki (23), she made the press laugh by saying in her unique ‘Shibuko style,’ ‘His legs are so long!’ (laughs).”

Mr. A added, “Whenever she participates in a Japan Tour event, she brings snacks for the staff and media. I’ve never heard a bad word about Shibuno from anyone involved.”

Mr. B said, “Among the younger players, Yuno Masada (24) also gets only good reviews. Even in her second pro year, she’s so popular that long lines form after her rounds for autographs. She spends over an hour carefully signing for fans, which leaves a great impression. Despite her soft and gentle appearance, she likes tough dramas like ‘Chimenshi-tachi’ (‘The Land Swindlers’), which adds an appealing gap.”

Treating caddies like dogs

B: “On the other hand, there are pros who keep their distance from people in the industry. A veteran pro, G, is notorious for treating her caddies like dogs. She once made an outrageous joke in front of everyone, saying, ‘This one is my dog. Bark!’”

C: “I’ve also heard that she makes her caddies drive her to the hotel, and because she’s lonely, she calls them out on their days off to have meals with her. She does whatever she wants, so no one in the industry really wants to get involved with her.”

A: “It’s true that the domestic tour is in a transitional period. There aren’t any overwhelmingly dominant stars right now, but the new generation is steadily rising and bringing excitement. There have been scandals, but many players and people involved are serious about their sport, and I want people to believe that.”

The women’s golf world is going through a period of change. Precisely because of this, we want to wholeheartedly support the players who are sincerely dedicated to their competition.

[Part 1] Anonymous Roundtable in Women’s Pro Golf: No surprise about the “Triple Bogey Affair!” Shocking love affairs of the players

From the May 30, 2025 issue of “FRIDAY”