GOLF

Ishikawa pledges to improve, hopes for Masters return

Monday 13th April, 06:46 AM JST

TOKYO —

Teenager Ryo Ishikawa is prepared to step up efforts to improve his game for his potential return to Augusta National. ‘‘My Masters outing made me realize the bad quality of my practice. I must have a strong determination to improve my golf,’’ Ishikawa said in a press conference Sunday at Narita airport after missing the cut by five strokes in his Masters Tournament debut.

Ishikawa, who became the second-youngest competitor ever in the Masters, was one of the biggest attractions in the prestigious tournament due to a horde of Japanese reporters and camera crews. But things were never easy for the popular 17-year-old as he struggled to snap up birdies like on golf courses on his homeland.

‘‘I wasn’t goofing around in practice at all, but now I know that the world is full of players who are working harder than I. I should never be satisfied with my work,’’ Ishikawa said.

Ishikawa is scheduled to start at the JGTO season-opening Token Homemate Cup getting under way Thursday in Mie Prefecture. He also plans to play in the final qualifying tournament in Japan for the U.S. Open Championship on June 18-21.

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Latest 15 of 16 Total Comments Show All

soldave at 09:39 AM JST - 13th April

USNinJapan2 - Katayama isn't the fashionable thing at the moment, so he's not mentioned. Same with Ai chan getting all the tsble tennis coverage over the vast majority of other players, even when they do well.
USNinJapan2 at 09:50 AM JST - 13th April

soldave

I know. It was a rhetorical rant on my part. I just wish the media would save their coverage of Ishikawa for when he gets past his much lauded first win, or when he starts shaving, whichever comes first...
cracaphat at 10:51 AM JST - 13th April

Think they should tell Ryo to concentrate on playing in Japan,rather than going over to play the big boys and not making the cut.
northlondon at 11:50 AM JST - 13th April

I'm getting a little bit sick of this Ishikawa nonsense. He missed the cut and they still held a media-frenzied news conference upon his arrival in Japan, whilst Katayama was still playing and in the process of finishing 4th. And people like Arnold Palmer are just as respinsible for this over-hyping of Ishikawa, as they should not invite this average player kid to their tournaments just to grab Japanese sponsors money.
ironchef at 01:22 PM JST - 13th April

The boy is overexposed. TBS promotes him so much because of ratings..just like what they did with Kameda boys. Silly. and what's up with TBS cutting bilingual news at 5:50pm down to only 15 min??! what a joke.
soldave at 02:51 PM JST - 13th April

USNinJapan2 - fair enough. Well it looks like JT has decided to mention the winner and Katayama above this story. Better late than never I suppose.
larguero at 03:43 PM JST - 13th April

what he says is very centered, as he makes no excuses. But considering his long future, wouldnt it be better to master his skills first and then go to play with the best players in the world?
ultradodgy at 03:56 PM JST - 13th April

There's a touch of surprise in his comments about his results, which I find, well, surprising.

Perhaps he can ring up Michelle Wie for some tips.
tasha77 at 04:17 PM JST - 13th April

While his talent is out of this world I am afraid the media are going to put so much pressure on this kids shoulders that he will mentally implode. Just like the other posters said.....he missed the cut and still there is a frenzy about him but there are no "headlines" for Katayama who did an amazing job. Ryo get outta Japan as quickly as you can after you wrap up high school and head to a university O.S (I'm sure there would be dozens of places throwing scholarships at you by now). Tell the media to keep there distance as you hone your skills to a higher level playing the PGA tour. If you stay here in Japan you will either be the hero or the let down each and every week on the Japan tour as far as the media are concerned. But so far you have taken it all in stride so three stars for you.
techall at 04:50 PM JST - 13th April

The kid has talent, no doubt about it. But just because he eats up the very forgiving japanese courses doesn't necessarily make him PGA material. Jumbo (the cheater) Ozeki tore up the japanese tour but never made the cut at Agusta. Ryo at 17 needs to play his game in Japan until he is old enough to qualify for the PGA tour and then we will see what he's got.
TexasAggie at 07:45 PM JST - 13th April

This loser actually had a press conference back there in Japan?

Amazing.
Potsu at 09:17 PM JST - 13th April

Can he pledge to get a little bit of charisma too...comes across as such a geek.So glad he missed the cut so we could actually get a decent tv coverage for a change instead of the usual childish crap Japan media dishes out.
tasha77 at 10:16 AM JST - 14th April

He needs to brush up on his "speed learning" as well. Didn't do too well in the interview stakes over there after all the speed learning adverts talking up the success of how easy it is to learn the english language!
Ultradude at 12:07 PM JST - 14th April

Unlike Tiger who graduated from Stanford, this kid already went pro - he's not going to get a sheepskin. More into short-term greed than long-term quality of life. Better hope he has honest advisers and doesn't get injured and cut his career short.
isthistheend at 01:41 PM JST - 14th April

This year's phenom, is often next years top 50 player. Of the last two Masters CHAMPIONS one was cut (Zach Johnson) and the other placed top 20 (Trevor Immerman). And there are hundreds, make that 1000's of players as good as RI, even at 17. It goes with the territory. Just read a book called "Crazed" about the year of schooling at Leadbetter Inst. Many 17 year olds come and go, and all think the way RI is expressing himself. They all think they will be the next champion. And so it goes. By the way, I also heard that Jumbo doctored his ball in the rough, which caused a blow-up with Greg Norman. Is that what you're referring to techall?