Nasa Hataoka hit two shots on Sunday at the Marathon LPGA Classic before play was suspended. She required a 40-minute rest in her vehicle, drank some espresso and paid attention to music prior to getting out to extend.
And afterward, unexpectedly, Hataoka was by and by a champ on the LPGA without hitting one more shot. After downpour soaked Highland Meadows Golf Club for quite a long time, the LPGA shortened the event to 54 openings. Hataoka gathered her fourth LPGA title and her first since 2019.
“Not being able to win recently I was kind of losing my confidence,” said the Japanese star through an interpreter, “but I guess this win is really giving me confidence.”
Play on Sunday started at 7 a.m. also, was suspended at 9:40 a.m. Hataoka, 22, completed at 19 under, six strokes in front of Americans Elizabeth Szokol and Mina Harigae, who acquired the best completion of their LPGA vocations.
“Unfortunately, at about 9:40, just with the amount of rain that we had we started losing some greens,” Donna Mummert, LPGA senior manager of rules and competition told Golf Channel. “That’s what took us down this morning and rain just continued and here we are. We went back out a couple times thinking we were going to catch a break. Fairways were ultimately what made the decision for us.”
Because of a Monday forecast that called for more downpour and storms in the more prominent Toledo region, authorities discovered that Monday was impossible. The following week’s Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational starts on Wednesday in Midland, Michigan.
Hataoka played with a pink ribbon on her cap on the side of Jane Park and Pete Godfrey, whose 10-month-old little girl Grace stays in basic condition in Texas. Hataoka gave $1,000 to the GoFundMe account set up by Park’s dear companion and individual visit player Tiffany Joh. Up until now, $78,445 has been brought up in help.
“I know Jane and I also know Pete very well,” said Hataoka, “so it was really, really sad to hear the condition of her little baby.
“I’m just going to wish them best for them and hope that we can meet up again.”
Hataoka started the Marathon with a rankling 10-under 61 and her 19-under 194 set the competition’s 54-opening scoring record. The past characteristic of 195 was set multiple times – Se Ri Pak (1998), Paula Creamer (2008) and Eunjung Yi (2009). Every one of the three players proceeded to win the competition.
Hataoka credited her new work for Gary Gilchrist on distance control with her irons for checking a profession best 61 Thursday that remembered six successive birdies for Nos. 15-2. (She began the back nine.)
Hataoka tied Hiromi Kobayashi for the third-most triumphs by a Japanese player, behind Ayako Okamoto (17) and Ai Miyazato (9). The triumph looks good for Japan’s highest level player in front of the Summer Games in Tokyo.
“I’m really, really going to work hard to represent all the Japanese golfers that couldn’t make it to the tournament and go for the gold,” said Hataoka, who was baffled to discover that fans won’t be permitted at the Olympics after Japan pronounced a highly sensitive situation because of COVID-19.
Hataoka lost in a playoff to Yuka Saso last month at the U.S. Ladies’ Open and played with an Olympic Club ball-marker in Toledo.
“I think I’m using it to remind myself that I’m not going to go through that kind of situation and I’m just going to keep going,” she said. “Every time I look at it, it reminds me to just keep going and go for a win. That’s what I use it for.”
One week from now, Hataoka will collaborate with Lexi Thompson at the Dow, however not will progress forward to the Amundi Evian Championship in France. Five top-15 parts on the planet are avoiding the visit’s next major, including Danielle Kang, Hannah Green and Saso.
“It was a really hard decision for me whether to play Evian or not. Because Olympics was my dream to be able to play in it, I decided to go back early and get ready for the Olympics,” Hataoka said.