<figure id="attachment_461098" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-461098" style="width: 2738px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="5105fffb"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/03/fcf056f368da3d159e3c89258105d546.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-461098" class="wp-caption-text">Akari Sakuma (Shuri, 23)</figcaption></figure>
<h2> The &#8220;Tsuyokawa&#8221; girls were out in force!</h2>
<p> The curtain opened on a hot and beautiful battle for the title of &#8220;Queen.</p>
<p> This season&#8217;s domestic women&#8217;s golf tour started with the &#8220;Daikin Orchid Ladies,&#8221; which opened on March 5. In the opening round, last year&#8217;s queen of the year, <span class="strongInContent">Akari Sakuma</span> ( <span class="strongInContent">Shuri</span>, 23), showed overwhelming strength to win the tournament.</p>
<p> Although Sakuma has made a dashing start, there are many candidates for the next heroine who are standing in her way to a second consecutive victory. Sportswriter Myung-Woo Kim is focusing on <span class="strongInContent">Yuka Yasuda</span> (25).</p>
<h4> Shuri Sakuma (23) <br>
She has been on a roll since the opening round! She is in good shape for her second consecutive year as queen of the year!</h4>
<p> Power 5 <br>
Small skills 5 <br>
Putting 5 <br>
Control 4 <br>
Approach 5 <br>
A complete all-rounder who won 4 matches last season and became the first annual queen. This season, she continues to be the most complete player on the course. 155cm</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> 155cm &#8220;Just when I thought I was finally ready to make a big leap forward after winning my second Tour event last April, I was unable to ride the wave as I continued to fail to qualify due to a worsening hip injury.</span><br>
<span class="strongInContent"> During the off-season, he worked on strengthening his flexibility and working on improving the distance of his driver, which had been an issue, as well as making his body less prone to injury. He has acquired a swing that effectively uses the entire body, and his distance, which was around 225 yards when he debuted six years ago, increased to 248 yards at the season opener. Now that he has broadened his offensive range, he should be involved in the title race this season.</span></p>
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<p> There are other talented players who are trying to recover from injuries. <span class="strongInContent">Sakura Ogura</span> (27) is an &#8220;iron man&#8221; who has played 142 consecutive games, the fourth most in her career.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> The first time in her nine-year career that she was out of the game for an extended period of time, she seemed to be in a bit of a hurry,&#8230;&#8230;, but she was not overconcerned. She was not overawed. She also took a nice break by watching an Orix game at Kyocera Dome, which she says she is a big fan of.</span></p>
<p> His golf game, too, showed signs of recovery.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> In the opening round at the Daikin, he hit his driver 250 yards, which is a real improvement. If she can get her iron distance, which is her lifeline, back, she will be a serious contender to Sakuma.</span></p>
<h4> Yuka Yasuda (25), Yui Kawamoto (27)</h4>
<figure id="attachment_461099" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-461099" style="width: 3896px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="a25492db"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/03/4166817f34c67c723e1198ddff52d89c.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-461099" class="wp-caption-text"> Left: Yuka Yasuda (25) Right: Yui Kawamoto (27)</figcaption></figure>
<p><span class="strongInContent">Yuka Yasuda</span><br>
Power 4 <br>
Small skills 5 <br>
Putting 4 <br>
Control 4 <br>
Approach 3 <br>
In the season opener, he was in contention for the top spot with his evolved driver. She hopes to win more than one event to stay in contention for the title. 163cm</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent">Yui Kawamoto</span><br>
Power 4 <br>
Small skills 5 <br>
Putting 5 <br>
Control 3 <br>
Approach 4 <br>
Last year, he finished 3rd in the Mercedes Ranking, his best ever. Her putting accuracy, which ranked first among all players, is her greatest weapon. 163cm</p>
<h4> Sakura Kohori (27) <br>
Her challenge is the accuracy of her irons.</h4>
<p><a href="#" data-ident_hash="6cadae0a"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/03/1671a15e3b966ff57cf5c4c3d01f6718.jpg" alt=""></a></p>
<p> Power 5 <br>
Small skills 5 <br>
Putting 4 <br>
Control 4 <br>
Approach 4 <br>
The injury is almost completely healed. The key is how quickly she can regain her sense of distance with the irons. 158cm</p>
<h4> Nana Suganuma (26)</h4>
<p><a href="#" data-ident_hash="999e9df9"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/03/ba79169dfffe2e086952790cbdb0ce47.jpg" alt=""></a></p>
<p> Power 4 <br>
Small skills 3 <br>
Putting 4 <br>
Control 3 <br>
Approach 5 <br>
A golf idol who overcame a poor &#8217;24 season to regain her seeding and made her CD debut in February. 158 cm.</p>
<h4> Haruka Kawasaki (22)</h4>
<p><a href="#" data-ident_hash="70ce6db1"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/03/e8d12f162578ed0e1500505361e2aad1.jpg" alt=""></a></p>
<p> Power 4 <br>
Small skills 4 <br>
Putting 5 <br>
Control 4 <br>
Approach 3 <br>
Last year, his approach, which was his weapon, was very erratic. She hopes to keep up her good form from the opening round and make a comeback this season. 158cm</p>
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<h4> Ayamiyu OZEKI (Amiyu, 22)</h4>
<p><a href="#" data-ident_hash="b7b71324"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/03/341a77bb00f6259179f449c2cb00c045.jpg" alt=""></a></p>
<p> Power 3 <br>
Small skills 4 <br>
Putting 5 <br>
Control 4 <br>
Approach 3 <br>
Known as the &#8220;Fuka Koshiba of the golf world&#8221; for her innocent smile. She is 158cm tall and is challenging for her second win with her specialty, putting.</p>
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<h2>Families fell in love with rookies.</h2>
<p> Some players are vowing to bounce back from their scandals. It is <span class="strongInContent">Haruka Kawasaki</span>, 22, who suddenly won the Japan Women&#8217;s PGA Championship, one of the four majors, in her rookie year. Last year&#8217;s &#8220;triple-bogey affair report&#8221; cast a heavy shadow over her career.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> In April, she made her comeback by tearfully apologizing in front of the press, but her good times and bad times were just too much. In the end, he failed to qualify 12 times in 29 matches.</span><br>
<span class="strongInContent"> The key is mentality. She is known for her strong heart, as evidenced by her 8-under par on the final day of the Women&#8217;s PGA Championship, where victory was on the line. She has made a fresh start by dying her hair brown and cutting it into a bob. She is now ready to take on the challenge of a year of competition.</span></p>
<p> There are also many golden eggs aiming for their first win, including third-year player <span class="strongInContent">Yumeno Masada</span> (25), who in her rookie year recorded five top-10 finishes, including a tie for second place. Last year, she was plagued by a second-year jinx, but her form is improving, as evidenced by her temporary tie for 8th place in the opening round of this season. <span class="strongInContent">Reika</span><span class="strongInContent">Miyako</span> (22), a second-year player with four top-10 finishes, will be able to make a comeback from the &#8220;forbidden love by 30 years old&#8221; with her coach that broke out last year.</p>
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<p> The rookies are also excellent, including teenager <span class="strongInContent">Hiiragiua</span><span class="strongInContent">Matsubara</span> (19), who boasts a 250-yard driver, and <span class="strongInContent">Meg Maeda</span> (23), who has a weapon in her highly accurate irons, but the most notable is <span class="strongInContent">Aika Ito</span> (18).</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> Aika Ito, 18, is a gem of a player who passed the pro test with a single shot and came in at the top of the class. Her biggest weapon is her driver, which has an average distance of 255 yards. Her innocent smile is also popular, and even before her debut, she was sponsored by FamilyMart, making her a golden rookie in both name and reality! She failed to qualify for the Daikin Championship at 11 over, but as she gains experience from now on, her first win may not be far off.</span></p>
<p> What kind of drama will be created this year?</p>
<h3> We are looking forward to a leap forward this season! Fresh players who have been playing for less than 3 years</h3>
<h4> Yumeno Masada (25)</h4>
<p><a href="#" data-ident_hash="cddbb5e9"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/03/b3a947e9c95b64e98b619be1a222896b.jpg" alt=""></a></p>
<p> Power 3 <br>
Small skills 4 <br>
Putting 5 <br>
Control 3 <br>
Approach 3 <br>
She is a &#8220;goddess&#8221; of golf, and her fans sometimes line up to see her after a match. 154 cm.</p>
<h4> Minami Kiyomoto (20)</h4>
<p><a href="#" data-ident_hash="86de627e"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/03/ce40137662e9a6190e6e7ae03615355f.jpg" alt=""></a></p>
<p> Power 3 <br>
Small skills 3 <br>
Putting 3 <br>
Control 4 <br>
Approach 3 <br>
This is the third year for Kiyomoto, who passed the top of the professional test at the age of 18. First of all, she hopes to advance through the qualifying rounds and advance to the higher ranks. 153cm</p>
<h4> Reika Miyako (Reika, 22)</h4>
<p><a href="#" data-ident_hash="e245ded3"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/03/e3659fc39fcac3b627bd5fc72384a8d0.jpg" alt=""></a></p>
<p> Power 4 <br>
Small skills 4 <br>
Putting 4 <br>
Control 3 <br>
Approach 4 <br>
She is 167cm tall and has been a top contender since her first year.</p>
<h4> Hinano Muguruma (23)</h4>
<p><a href="#" data-ident_hash="0dc22ab5"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/03/ee689517a49c32986675a8ee95f99b8b.jpg" alt=""></a></p>
<p> Power 3 <br>
Small skills 3 <br>
Putting 4 <br>
Control 5 <br>
Approach 3 <br>
A seven-time top-10 finisher on the lower tours, which was her main competition last year. She is 154cm tall.</p>
<h4> Suzu Yoshida (22)</h4>
<p><a href="#" data-ident_hash="5eacb7d0"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/03/2c22acd2a8ae8c2d414bad5d9a660545.jpg" alt=""></a></p>
<p> Power 3 <br>
Small skills 4 <br>
Putting 3 <br>
Control 5 <br>
Approach 4 <br>
His sister is the famous pro Yuri Yoshida. Studied under Yasuharu Konno, a seven-time men&#8217;s champion. Will the improvement in form prove to be a blessing or a curse?</p>
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<h3> The rookies are also excellent!</h3>
<h4> Aika Ito (18) <br>
A famous sponsor fell in love with this out-of-the-ordinary &#8220;flyer&#8221;!</h4>
<p><a href="#" data-ident_hash="1a8fd989"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/03/c4d7fb5d0c52d55fd447df32ca9a88ae.jpg" alt=""></a></p>
<p> Power 5 <br>
Small skills 4 <br>
Putting 3 <br>
Control 3 <br>
Approach 2 <br>
At 18 years old, he averages 255 yards. If she can improve her game, which is Kim&#8217;s challenge, she may become a big player. 160cm</p>
<h4> Ai Maeta (Megu, 23)</h4>
<p><a href="#" data-ident_hash="b39b34ac"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/03/2ff601e14bd9129ded5cc351759cd8ca.jpg" alt=""></a></p>
<p> Power 2 <br>
Small skills 4 <br>
Putting 2 <br>
Control 3 <br>
Approach 4 <br>
Classical style of play with a focus on irons. She is 156 cm.</p>
<h4> Hiiragiua Matsubara (Shua, 19)</h4>
<p><a href="#" data-ident_hash="e5582fb7"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/03/ed2768ee951ece4238ea4d07cb6759fa.jpg" alt=""></a></p>
<p> Power 5 <br>
Small skills 2 <br>
Putting 4 <br>
Control 2 <br>
Approach 2 <br>
A driver of over 250 yards is the charm. She has many rough edges, but her dynamic style is sure to attract fans. 164cm</p>
<p> From the March 27/April 3, 2026 issue of FRIDAY</p>


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 Who will be this season's heroine? This season's domestic women's golf tour started with the Daikin Orchid Ladies on March 5. We will thoroughly analyze all the players, from the talented ones who are aiming for the queen's title to the fresh rookies! What kind of dramas will be born this year?

The Domestic Tour finally begins… Who will be this season’s heroines? The battle of the “Tsuyokawa” women golfers!

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