<figure id="attachment_238859" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 3457px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-238859"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="ba38b59a"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2022/04/aflo_167546564.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-238859" class="wp-caption-text">Wakimoto won the championship for the first time. Her driver, which boasts one of the longest distances among all players, and her consistent irons are her weapons (photo from 2021).</figcaption></figure>
24-year-old professional female golfer Hana Wakimoto won the Hanasaka Ladies Yanmar Tournament on the Step Up Tour for the first time, one generation above the &#8220;Golden Generation&#8221; including Hinoko Shibuno, who was born in 1997.
Wakimoto started the final day in second place, one shot behind the leader, and carded five birdies and two bogeys for a 69 and a total of 7 under for the win. I was not relaxed at all until the end,&#8221; he said with a sigh of relief.
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The reason for her victory was her improved putting. He struggled to put together a score, and his 1.88 putt average put him in 86th place. In the off-season, he thoroughly reviewed his putting, which is his weak point. Wakimoto himself said at the post-match press conference.
 Last season, I really struggled with putting. I felt like I had fallen to the bottom of my golf career. My seniors and coaches gave me a lot of advice, and I tried everything and absorbed it. What I worked on during the off-season finally bore fruit and gave me confidence. My putting, which was the reason I lost my seeding last season, turned into a winning factor.&#8221;
A new weapon shined on the 12th (par 4). The second shot was over the green and into the green collar. It was a 7-meter downhill hook line to the pin. He calmly read the line and quickly stroked the ball into the cup as if it were sucked in. Wakimoto also reflected, &#8220;This 12th was a big one.
After sinking the winning putt, he raised his left arm and smiled. How much did he envision the sight of reaching the pinnacle of the Japanese game? The road that Wakimoto has been on up to now has not been smooth.
<figure id="attachment_238861" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1024px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-238861"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="b3e302c3"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2022/04/2021082107232.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-238861" class="wp-caption-text">As he says, &#8220;I had been struggling with my putter all of last season,&#8221; and until now, his performance on the greens has been an issue.</figcaption></figure>
As an amateur, he finally passed the professional test in 2018 after his third attempt. However, there were few matches he could play domestically, and in search of a real competition, he challenged the Taiwan Tour QT (Qualifying Tournament), where he finished in first place. That year, she accumulated achievements, including her first professional win at the Taiwan Tour&#8217;s &#8220;SAMPO Ladies,&#8221; but she was nearly unknown in Japan as she had not won a match on the domestic tour.
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In December 2018, he made it through the QT on the Japan Tour, and in 2019, he shot a 65 on the first day at the &#8220;Axare Ladies&#8221; held in his hometown of Miyazaki, Japan, to take the lead alone. He made his presence felt with a tie for fourth place in the final round. She also moved into 47th place in the money ranking, and it seemed only a matter of time before she would be seeded for the first time and join the ranks of the top pros.
At 174 centimeters tall with long arms and legs, she is a very tall player. With her 174cm height, long arms and legs, and well-defined face, she attracted a lot of visual attention from the beginning of her professional career. However, he has always said, &#8220;I don&#8217;t like to be visually ahead of others. I want to be recognized for my ability.
Having experienced a difficult past in golf, she must have wanted to make a splash by winning the tournament. She felt a connection to the &#8220;Hanasaka Ladies&#8221; tournament.
 I will never forget winning a tournament with my name (Hana) on it. My goal this year is to regain my seeding. The JLPGA (regular) Tour Tour is also set, so I would like to finish high on that tour and try my best to play in the second half of the season. I think winning at this course will give me confidence.&#8221;
He dreams of steadily building up his strength in Japan and competing on the U.S. Tour in the future. This win must have been a big first step toward making his dream come true.

 Kim Myeong-ik

 Kyodo News Images, Jiji Press

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