第60回ゴルフ日本シリーズJTカップ

2024.01.17

Tournament name: 60th Golf Japan Series JT Cup
Date: April 2023nd (Thursday) -May 11th (Sunday), 30
Venue: Tokyo Yomiuri Country Club
685 Sakahama, Inagi City, Tokyo
Competition method: 72-hole stroke play
Eligibility: Total number of participants: 30
Organizers: The Hochi Shimbun, The Yomiuri Shimbun, Nippon Television Network Corporation
Organized by: Japan Golf Tour Organization
Sponsored by: Japan Golf Association, Inagi City, Yomiuri Land, Yomiuri TV
Special sponsor: JT
Sponsors: Nissan Motors, Bridgestone Sports, Nikaido Sake Brewery, AirTrip, American Express
Operational cooperation: Hakuhodo, Hakuhodo DY Media Partners, Hakuhodo DY Sports Marketing

<About the Japan Golf Series JT Cup>
The Golf Japan Series JT Cup (commonly known as the JT Cup) began in 1963 and will celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2023. The JT Cup is the final tournament of the domestic men's golf tour, held every year in the first week of December at the prestigious Tokyo Yomiuri Country Club, and is a major tournament that has produced many memorable matches and scenes.
The participation requirements for this tournament are strict, including the winner of the domestic men's golf tour that year and those ranked high in the prize money rankings, and only the top 30 selected players are able to play in this grand finale, the JT Cup.

The event will be held for the 60th time in 2023."Golf Japan Series JT Cup".
On Saturday, December 2nd, the third day of the tournament, we spoke to the players about what motivated them to start playing golf and what they find appealing about the sport.

■ Player interviews

7th place tie: Ryo Ishikawa

■What is the appeal of JT Cup?
Only those who have played well throughout the season can participate, so just being able to take part is something I'm proud of this season. Since only 30 people can participate, it's a rare tournament, so the atmosphere is different from other tournaments.

■What made you decide to become a professional?
When I went to watch a tournament in my sixth year of elementary school, I told my idol, Ai Miyazato, "Do your best," and she looked me in the eye and said, "Thank you." I was so happy about that experience, and I still remember it vividly. Ai Miyazato's personality and aura were something that junior golfers looked up to. The reason I decided to become a professional golfer was because I wanted to be like Ai Miyazato and Tiger Woods. Rather than wanting to become a professional golfer or improve my skills, I felt that I wanted to be a wonderful person.

■What is the appeal of golf?
It really shows what you're doing. Continuing to play golf isn't always fun. You grow little by little through trial and error, and through your own growth process and the things you think about.
I also find it interesting how a person's fundamental personality is revealed in their play. Golf is a sport that tests your mental strength in many ways. You have to accept times when you can't control the game, and I feel like there are many situations that test you as a person. Even as professionals, there are many times when things don't go well. That's why I wouldn't say it's fun! But I think that's what makes it interesting.

■How do you overcome difficulties?
When things aren't going well, I break down the causes into smaller parts and ask myself the same question about five times. Among the possible causes, I separate those that I contributed to from those that weren't, and dig deeper into what I did wrong. It can feel embarrassing, like having everything stripped away, but I want to take small steps, one by one, to overcome them. That's why I value being satisfied with even the smallest of improvements. Because I spend so much time reflecting on my weaknesses, when something goes well, I praise myself wholeheartedly without thinking, "This is only a small thing." I break down the steps toward achieving my goal into smaller pieces, and I play golf as if I'm stacking up 1mm pieces of paper. Looking at it on a day-to-day basis, almost nothing has changed, but I feel that people who can keep stacking them every day are strong. I want to become a person of such strength and tenacity. Don't try to stack multiple pieces of paper every day. I believe that steadily stacking one piece at a time is the most important thing.

■Message to university students
I hope you find something that you can immerse yourself in. Don't worry if it's different from other people. It's natural that your likes will be different from others. As you spend more time with others, your actions will be restricted or changed by others. That's why time spent for yourself will one day become a source of comfort for your heart. There's nothing bad about thinking only about yourself. If you continue to protect "time for yourself," even if it's just for one minute, I'm sure there will come a time when you'll realize how important that time is.

Author: Narina Ogata, 3rd year student at Rikkyo University

TOP CONNECT Representative Uchida Masaaki / Tsuda University 4th year student Okawa Satoru / Rikkyo University 3rd year student Ogata Narina / Sophia University 2nd year student Amie Hinata

7th place tie: Takashi Ogiso

The JT Cup, which only 30 selected people can participate in, is a goal that everyone aspires to, so I am very happy to be able to participate.
Influenced by my father, I started playing golf in the first grade of elementary school. When I entered high school, I began to place highly in junior tournaments. When I entered a professional tournament in my second year of high school, I felt a strong desire to become a professional golfer. In the future, I would like to become a professional golfer who can win his first tournament in Japan and go on to win many tournaments.
I think the greatest appeal of golf is that anyone can play it regardless of age and it allows people of all generations to interact with each other.
I hope that all university students will have time to have fun, but also work hard towards their goals.

Author: Satoshi Okawa, 4th year student at Tsuda University

15th place: Naoyuki Kataoka

The JT Cup has a limited number of participants, and only the top players have a chance, so I'm very happy to be able to take part, and I think it will be a very exciting match.
My father worked in the golf industry, so I started playing golf at the age of two.
I think the appeal of golf is that you can play in beautiful scenery and that it can be enjoyed by people of all ages, from young children to the elderly. It is a sport that is popular with people of all ages.
I would like all university students to find something they want to do. It's difficult to turn what you want to do into a job, but I think the key to enjoying life is to have at least one hobby or thing you enjoy.

Author: Hinata Amie, Sophia University sophomore

Tied for 12th place: Akutsu Mikiya

The JT Cup has a unique atmosphere in a good way, as only the winner of that year and the top prize winners can participate, and I think it is a stage that all professional golfers aim for.
Before he was even three years old, he was swinging around a golf toy at home, then he started playing golf with his grandmother and her golfing buddies, and later he started playing golf one-on-one.
There aren't many sports that children and grandparents can play together, so golf's appeal is that it can be enjoyed by people of all ages. Another big attraction of Japan is that you can enjoy the four seasons and the different scenery depending on the region.
Whether it's an assignment or a test, I want students to develop a strong sense of determination to "see it through to the end!"

Author: Hinata Amie, Sophia University sophomore

Tied for 18th place: Yuta Sugiura

The JT Cup is a tournament I'm proud to have participated in, as only 30 players with good results this year can participate. I never thought I'd be able to participate this year. I was really happy to be able to play among such dynamic players.
I started playing golf when I was three years old, when my father would take me to driving ranges and other places. From there, I saw successful players like Ryo Ishikawa and thought they were cool, so I started aiming to become a professional when I was in elementary school. I think the great thing about golf is that it's a sport that can be enjoyed by parents and children, from small children to adults.
This is still my first year as a professional, but I want to become not only a skilled player, but also a player that many people support.
As fellow university students, let's work hard towards our dreams!

Author: Narina Ogata, 3rd year student at Rikkyo University

Tied for 22nd place: Aguri Iwasaki

The appeal of the JT Cup is that it is the special feeling of being the last major tournament of the season, with only 30 participants allowed.
Influenced by my golf-loving parents, I started playing golf and began to think about becoming a professional golfer when I was in elementary school. It wasn't until I was a university student that I started to seriously aim to become a professional golfer.
The best part of golf is that the same situation rarely occurs. It's difficult to adapt to each situation, but it's also fun.
I would like all university students to try golf and discover how much fun it is. At first, just hit the ball as hard as you like!

Author: Satoshi Okawa, 4th year student at Tsuda University

Student Newspaper Online December 2, 2023 Interview: Tsuda University 12th year student Okawa Satoru / Rikkyo University 3rd year student Ogata Narina / Sophia University 2nd year student Amie Hinata　