[TOTO Japan C]Reo “I have to be No. 1 after all” Gains No.1 flying distance, US ticket, and annual queen title, moves up to 4th place – Sponichi Sponichi Annex Sports

US Women’s Golf Tour TOTO Japan Classic Day 2 (November 1, 2024 Shiga Prefecture Seta GC North C = 6616 yards, par 72)

Reo Takeda aiming for 2-on on No. 16 (Photo by Souta Nakatsuji)
Photo By Sponichi

Reo Takeda (21 = Yamae Group HD), who leads the Mercedes rankings with 7 wins this season, marked a 65 with 1 eagle, 6 birdies, and 1 bogey, and moved up to 4th place with a total of 10 under. 3 strokes behind the leader. The 21-year-old has announced his intention to compete in the final qualifying round to compete on the US tour next season, aiming to win a ticket to the US tour and be seeded for the next two years. Motoka Waki ​​(27 = GMO Internet Group) shot a 68 to maintain the sole lead with a total of 13 under par.

He has risen to the V front with a flying distance comparable to that of the US tour players. Takeda hit a 3W in two from 240 yards remaining on the par-5 13th hole, sinking 10 meters for eagle. He created a large number of birdie opportunities with an attack style that only a long-flyer can do.

On the first day, he couldn’t putt properly and struggled on the green. Taking advantage of what I had learned from this experience, I approached this day with the goal of “getting a solid hit.” Supported by a series of key putts, he scored a 65, matching his best of the day. He nodded and said, “I improved my score by seven points, which will help me tomorrow.”

There is one more battle that we cannot lose. The average flying distance of the 1W on the previous day was the highest among Japanese players, but was 4th overall. My heart was on fire and I thought, “I have to be number one after all.” The 4th and 16th measurement holes arrived. When I stood in the teeing area, I naturally felt strong, but when I wanted to hit the ball, I was very conscious of “relaxing my upper body and swinging.” He stood proudly at the top with a distance of 271 yards and said with a joyful smile, “I hit the nail on the head.”

He is scheduled to compete in the final qualifying round of the US Tour (Alabama) in December, but if he wins this tournament he will be able to get his dream ticket to the US Tour as soon as possible. Until last year, if a player who was not a member of the U.S. tour won, he would be given a seed for the remaining games of this season and the following year, but starting this year, the seeding will be changed to two years. “Getting seed right right away is a big deal,” he says, which is a privilege he wants, but he remains as calm as ever, saying “I want to focus on what needs to be done first.”

When I was a junior high school student, my aunt, Mayumi Hirase, who was a former prize money queen, encouraged me to attend this tournament and I have fond memories of it. If she wins, she will not only get a ticket to the US tour, but also get closer to being crowned queen for the first time. The rapidly growing 21-year-old is eager to reach the top. (Akari Yamate)

▽Final qualifying round for the US Tour The qualifying round for next season’s US Tour will be held from December 5th to 9th at Magnolia Grove GC, Alabama. If you finish in the top 20, you can participate in a certain number of matches, and if you finish in the top 45, you qualify for tour membership. In addition to Takeda, sisters Akira Iwai and Senrei, Miyu Yamashita, and Erika Hara have entered from the Japan tour. Saki Baba, who played mainly on the U.S. lower tour this season, will also be participating.

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