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Erika Hara

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Erika Hara
Personal information
Born (1999-02-15) February 15, 1999 (age 25)
Yokohama, Japan
Sporting nationality Japan
Career
Turned professional2018
Current tour(s)LPGA of Japan Tour
Professional wins5
Number of wins by tour
LPGA of Japan Tour5

Erika Hara (原 英莉花, Hara Erika, born February 15, 1999) is a Japanese professional golfer. Among her tournament victories are the 2020 Japan LPGA Tour Championship and both the 2020 and 2023 editions of the Japan Women's Open Golf Championship.

Early life and education

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Hara was born February 15, 1999, in Yokohama.[1] She began playing golf at age 10, and won the Kanagawa Prefecture Junior Championship in her first year of high school.[2] While in high school, Hara met professional golfer Masashi Ozaki through an acquaintance and became his student.[3] She graduated from Shonan Gakuin High School in 2016.[4]

Career

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Hara passed the professional test and joined the professional ranks in 2018.[1] She signed a sponsorship deal with logistics company Nippon Express in March of that year.[5] Her first professional tour victory came in the 2019 Resort Trust Ladies tournament, where she defeated Bae Seon-Woo in a playoff on the final day.[6]

The following year, Hara won the 2020 Japan Women's Open Golf Championship, her first major win.[7] In her next major tournament appearance, Hara won the 2020 Japan LPGA Tour Championship Ricoh Cup, topping the leaderboard on each day of the event and becoming the youngest winner in the tournament's history.[2] Hara's overall position in the Women's World Golf Rankings qualified her for the U.S. Women's Open for the first time.[8] Sitting at nineteen over par after the first two rounds of the 2020 U.S. Women's Open, Hara missed the cut.[9] Hara also competed in the 2021 Women's British Open, marking her first appearance in that tournament, but missed the cut after hitting consecutive double-bogeys on the final two holes of the second round.[10] Her final tournament win of the combined 2020–21 JLPGA season came at the 2021 Daio Paper elleair Ladies Open, where she secured the final-day lead with an eagle on the 17th hole.[11]

In 2022, a back injury interfered with Hara's play, but on the advice of her mentor Masashi Ozaki she attempted to adjust her swing and play through the pain.[12] She underwent surgery to resolve the issue in May of the following year.[13] Five months later, Hara captured her second Japan Women's Open Golf Championship title.[14] Shortly after the Open win, Hara attempted to qualify for the 2024 LPGA Tour in an event played at the Plantation Golf and Country Club in Florida, but submitted an incorrect scorecard for her third round of play and was disqualified from the tournament.[15]

For her first tournament appearance of 2024, Hara received a sponsor's exemption to enter the 2024 Honda LPGA Thailand.[16] She finished the US tour event tied for 16th place with Yuka Saso.[17] Hara also received a sponsor's exemption for the 2024 Women's Scottish Open.[18] She chose to withdraw on short notice from her scheduled JLPGA event, the CAT Ladies tournament in Hakone, in order to participate in the LPGA event.[19] Hara had difficulty adjusting to the conditions at Dundonald Links, and failed to make the cut.[20] The following week, Hara marked her first appearance on the Korean tour with a tie for 31st place in the Hanwha Classic, a KLPGA major tournament.[21]

Image

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According to Women's Wear Daily Japan, Hara has a reputation as a fashion leader in the golf world, and a track record of driving sales for golfwear company TSI Holdings, with whom she has a long-standing relationship.[22] Her first commercial television advertisement, for sponsor Nippon Express, began airing in 2019.[23] She has also featured in a television advertisement for TSI Holdings and its flagship apparel brand Pearly Gates.[24] Since 2022, Hara has been a JLPGA Brightener, part of a select group of tour players who engage in additional public relations and promotional activity on behalf of the JLPGA.[25]

Professional wins

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References

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  1. ^ a b "原 英莉花：プロファール詳細" [Erika Hara: Profile Details]. The Ladies Professional Golfers' Association of Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved June 11, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c "原英莉花が日本女子オープンに続くメジャー２連勝" [Erika Hara immediately follows up the Japan Women's Open victory with a second major win]. Sports Hochi (in Japanese). November 29, 2020. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
  3. ^ "「女子ゴルファー日本一」原英莉花が、師匠ジャンボ尾崎から受けた薫陶" [The advice that Erika Hara, "the best woman golfer in Japan" got from her mentor Jumbo Ozaki]. Jiji Press (in Japanese). October 23, 2020. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
  4. ^ "四大大会２連勝！原英莉花（ゴルフ）" [2 consecutive grand slam wins! Erika Hara (golf)]. Shōnan Gakuin High School (in Japanese). November 30, 2020. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
  5. ^ "日通、プロゴルファー原英莉花選手とスポンサー契約を締結" [Nippon Express signs sponsorship deal with pro golfer Erika Hara]. Nippon Express (in Japanese). March 15, 2018. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
  6. ^ a b ""ジャンボの愛弟子" 原英莉花が初優勝" [Jumbo Ozaki's beloved pupil Erika Hara captures first win]. Golf Digest Online (in Japanese). June 2, 2019. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
  7. ^ a b "21歳の原英莉花がメジャー初V" [21-year-old Erika Hara wins her first major]. Mainichi Shimbun (in Japanese). October 4, 2020. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
  8. ^ Nichols, Beth Ann; Williams, Julie (December 7, 2020). "The rookie contingent is strong in the U.S. Women's Open". Golfweek. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
  9. ^ "Player Bio: Erika Hara, 2020 US Women's Open". United States Golf Association. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
  10. ^ "「残念でならない」 原英莉花は上がり2連続ダボで予選落ち" ["I'm disappointed" says Erika Hara, who hit 2 double bogeys in a row and missed the cut]. Golf Digest Online (in Japanese). August 21, 2021. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
  11. ^ a b "原英莉花　今季３勝目17番イーグルで決着" [Erika Hara settles her third win of the season with an eagle on the 17th hole]. Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). November 21, 2021. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
  12. ^ "原英莉花　腰痛に苦しみ手術を検討したこと明かすも" [Erika Hara considers surgery to address back pain]. Sponichi Annex (in Japanese). March 2, 2022. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
  13. ^ "原英莉花、腰のヘルニア摘出手術成功を報告" [Erika Hara announces successful back surgery to repair hernia]. Sports Hochi (in Japanese). May 24, 2023. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
  14. ^ a b "原英莉花が逃げ切り大会２勝目" [Erika Hara holds the lead to the end for her second Open championship]. Sports Hochi (in Japanese). October 1, 2023. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
  15. ^ "原英莉花が米予選会で失格 スコア誤記" [Erika Hara disqualified from American qualifying tournament for scoring error]. Golf Digest Online (in Japanese). October 20, 2023. Retrieved June 12, 2024.
  16. ^ "原英莉花が米ツアー「ホンダLPGAタイランド」にエントリー" [Erika Hara enters the US tour's Honda LPGA Thailand tournament]. Golf Digest Online (in Japanese). February 7, 2024. Retrieved June 13, 2024.
  17. ^ "Honda LPGA Thailand: Results". LPGA. Retrieved June 13, 2024.
  18. ^ "Five things to know about the ISPS Handa Women's Scottish Open". LPGA. August 12, 2024. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
  19. ^ "原英莉花がつかみたい"奇跡のようなチャンス" セントアンドリュースへ滑り込みなるか" [Wanting to seize this 'miracle chance', Erika Hara heads to St. Andrews at the last minute]. Golf Digest Online (in Japanese). August 14, 2024. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
  20. ^ "'技術不足'を受け止めて 原英莉花「この経験が生きたなって思える将来を」" [Acknowledging that her skills were 'not good enough', Erika Hara says 'I am looking forward to the time when I can feel that this experience was useful']. Golf Digest Online (in Japanese). August 17, 2024. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
  21. ^ "原英莉花「日米韓ツアー三刀流」の可能性" [Erika Hara shows potential to be a triple threat on the Japanese, US, and Korean circuits]. Nikkan Gendai (in Japanese). August 26, 2024. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  22. ^ 林, 芳樹 (May 4, 2023). "原英莉花プロに何を着せるか" [How to dress Erika Hara like a pro]. WWD Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved June 14, 2024.
  23. ^ "原英莉花が「クールな感じ」でCMデビュー" [With "Cool Feeling", Erika Hara makes her commercial advertising debut]. Golf Digest Online (in Japanese). May 23, 2019. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
  24. ^ "女子プロゴルファー上田桃子&原英莉花が共演「いい一年になるよ!」" [Ladies' pro golfers Momoko Ueda and Erika Hara co-star in "It's going to be a good year!" ad campaign]. Oricon News (in Japanese). February 15, 2023. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
  25. ^ "JLPGA Brightener 2024". The Ladies Professional Golfers' Association of Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved June 14, 2024.
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