FACING RETIREMENT, MIYAZATO HAPPY TO RETURN TO ARKANSAS

This week at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G, Ai Miyazato will make her first LPGA appearance after surprising the golf world with the news that she will retire following the 2017 season. Miyazato, whose last LPGA victory came here at Pinnacle Country Club in 2012, made the announcement on May 29 in her native Japan, saying that she has been mulling retirement for the last four years.

“It makes me feel so right because finally I’m listening to what my heart says, like what my mind says, not like what the other people saying,” said Miyazato, who added that her future plans beyond professional golf are still being determined. “I’m glad I made the decision because I believe I’m still young and I love this sport and I still have a passion to do something with the golf. I still love this game and I think I want to do something a different way with golf.”

Miyazato, who celebrated her 32nd birthday two days ago, says she may play one or two more events in her home country, but for this week, the former World No. 1 is fully focused on the competition in Northwest Arkansas.

“I love this tournament because everything is very organized and the local people are very supportive of this tournament,” said Miyazato. “It’s always nice to be here, so I’m very excited.”

KO PRIMED FOR #NWACHAMPIONSHIP TITLE DEFENSE

Hoping to capture her first LPGA title of the 2017 season, Lydia Ko takes to Pinnacle Country Club this week as the defending champion of the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G.

“The fans have always been great,” said Ko, who shot a tournament-record, 16-under 196 in her three-stroke victory last year. “I normally play with the same pro-am group for the last two years and I think I’m playing with them again this year. I just feel like this is always a place that has welcomed me no matter how well I play or not. Outside of the golf course, the tournament being so supportive, I just love coming back here.”

Ko comes into this week as the No. 2 player in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, having lost the top spot last week to Ariya Jutanugarn. After sitting at World No. 1 for more than 100 weeks, Ko knows both the pressure and motivation that comes with that title.

“It’s really hard to just embrace what’s going on because it’s just there’s so much going on outside of just you being the No. 1 ranked player,” said Ko, just .46 points behind Jutanugarn, who is not in the NWA field. “I think there was a bit more pressure then, but you start to not think about the ranking as much.

“Even though I’m No. 2 right now, I don’t feel disappointed because I know how amazing Ariya has played and that’s why I think it just motivates me to work harder and hopefully play a bit more consistently and put my positions towards the top of the leaderboard.”

QUICK HITS

NOTE: While 2017 marks the 11th playing of the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G, this is the 10th official competition. The inaugural tournament in 2007 was shorted to 18 holes due to rain delays, and is not counted among LPGA records and statistics as an official event.

Ai Miyazato has made the cut in seven of her nine NWA appearances, taking the victory in 2012 and finishing third in 2011
Over her 12-year LPGA Tour career, Miyazato has amassed nine victories, 62 top-10 finishes and more than $8 million in career earnings
Miyazato spent 11 weeks in the No. 1 spot on the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings in 2010, becoming the first Japanese player, male or female, to be the top-ranked player in the world
Lydia Ko has never finished worse than a tie for sixth in her four NWA appearances (2016, win; 2015, T6; 2015, T2, 2014: T4)
Since February 2015, Ko has spent 104 weeks at No. 1, including 85 consecutive weeks from Oct. 6, 2015, to June 11, 2016; only Lorena Ochoa and Yani Tseng spent more time at No. 1, coming in at 158 and 109 weeks, respectively

QUOTABLE

“Everyone said, I’m so happy for you but I’m so sad you’re leaving. But I had great memories the last 12 years on this tour and I did my best out there and I made so many friends on this tour. So it’s definitely my family. It feels like my family over here.” - Ai Miyazato, on the reaction of her fellow LPGA Tour players to the news of her retirement

“I still love this game and I want to give back to the golf, especially in Japan. Maybe for the juniors, maybe for the JLPGA, I don’t know. I think I can do anything.” - Ai Miyazato, on what the future holds for her in retirement

“It just shows the amount of talent on the LPGA. It’s not just the, hey, it’s the top three players who are going to win out of those three. Week in, week out, you just don’t know who’s going to win.” - Lydia Ko, on the excitement of 15 different players winning so far in the 2017 LPGA season

“Whenever you’re around her, I think you automatically have a smile on your face just from her, you know, smile virus.” - Lydia Ko, on Ai Miyazato

Facing Retirement, Miyazato Happy to Return to Arkansas and More from Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G

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