Golf-Inami gets silver, first Games medal in the sport for Japan

TOKYO, Aug 7 (Reuters) – Japan’s Mone Inami marked an amazing end on Saturday by successful the primary ever medal in Olympic golf for her nation.

The 22-year-old’s silver medal on the Tokyo Olympics was a shock after high-profile Hideki Matsuyama did not bag a bronze on the males’s competitors. Matsuyama wished Inami good luck, she mentioned earlier. read more

With little worldwide presence, Inami has mentioned she is “having enjoyable” with out jitters, discovering it fascinating to play with abroad athletes talking English.

She didn’t make the minimize on the Ladies’s British Open in 2020 and was ranked 54th on the U.S. Ladies’s Open 2020

“In Japan which is internet hosting Olympics, successful a medal as a Japanese, that is what I’m most happy about,” Inami instructed reporters. “Having the ability to come to the Olympics is an even bigger factor to me than {golfing}. That is an honour in my life.”

Inami, a seven-time winner on the Japan LPGA Tour, mentioned the Olympics was a dream stage and hoped Japanese youngsters would observe their goals after watching her play.

Through the ultimate spherical on the Kasumigaseki Nation Membership, the place she had golfed as a baby for junior championships, Inami drew extra supporters and applause than gold medallist Nelly Korda from the USA.

With no spectators allowed into the venue resulting from COVID-19 curbs, native volunteers, workers and journalists lamented when Inami’s ball fell right into a bunker however cheered by clapping when she scored a birdie. They gave thumbs-up as Inami confirmed silver after a play-off with Lydia Ko from New Zealand.

Coach Michiko Hattori choked up.

“Her quick performs shone, and he or she managed herself. She fought rather well round so many various kinds of athletes for 4 days although she did not have sufficient worldwide expertise,”

“I’m so completely satisfied,” Hattori mentioned in tears.

Reporting by Ju-min Park; Modifying by Himani Sarkar

Our Requirements: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.