NASSAU – One of the more shy and reserved players on Tour, Haru Nomura lets her clubs do the talking.
Nomura made her presence known on Thursday by posting a 5-under, 68 on a windy day in the Bahamas to move into a share of the lead at the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic. The native of Japan was comfortable in the blustery conditions, having spent the last month preparing for her season debut in similar conditions at home in Hawaii, finding a point of familiarity in an otherwise unfamiliar world.
“She’s a good little player. She’s not flashy in any regard, but everything she does is just good,” Jason McDede told LPGA.com. “She’s still trying to I think adapt with not speaking English that great and she’s actually half Korean, half Japanese so it’s a very interesting kind of culture mix compared with some of the other Koreans on Tour. She’s a little bit more quiet and if anything a little shy.”
Shorty, as McDede affectionately refers to his boss, is a calming force for the looper in what is a somewhat opposite relationship to the average caddie, player dynamic. In return, McDede has helped open up the world for Nomura with the many relationships he has on Tour, having previously caddied for Anna Nordqvist and Vicky Hurst.
“It’s just a good pairing. I know a lot of people out here so I think for her I loosen her up a little bit you know where people would have not spoken or talked to her before. I think that it’s a good mix and for me it’s a great mix because she’s so calm. She calms me down if anything I’m a little bit more feisty than she is.”
Although the duo only began working together in July at the Marathon Classic, they quickly found success in September when Nomura won the Hanwha Finance Classic for her first victory on the KLPGA. She’ll be looking to add her first win on the LPGA this weekend.
“You always learn a little bit more about yourself on Saturday and Sunday than Thursday and Friday. But if she keeps putting herself in good positions, I mean she’s got a great golf swing, she hits it far enough, she putts it good enough its just a matter of getting it done. So when she is facing Lydia or Inbee or Stacy in the final round, it takes a special person to break through. But I think the more she continues to put herself there, there’ll be a good chance.”
They might not hear her coming. It’ll be her clubs doing the talking.
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