Miyazato Ai (born 19 June 1985 in Higashi, Okinawa
Prefecture, Japan) is a professional Ryukyuan golfer
who currently competes on the US-based LPGA Tour and
the Japan LPGA Tour (JLPGA)
As an amateur in 2003, she won a professional event
on the Japan LPGA Tour – the Dunlop Ladies Open in
Miyagi Prefecture, which is where she was attending
high school at the time. In her 2004 rookie season
on the JLPGA Tour she won five tournaments. In
February 2005, she represented Japan along with Rui
Kitada winning the inaugural Women's World Cup of
Golf. In 2005, she won six events on the JLPGA tour,
and was the #2 ranked player on the JLPGA Tour
behind Yuri Fudoh.
In winning the Japan Open Championship at age twenty
in 2005, Miyazato became the youngest player on the
JLPGA Tour to win a major. Furthering the notion
that Miyazato has revived the JLPGA Tour after the
retirement of Ayako Okamoto, over 32,000 people (the
largest gallery ever to attend a JLPGA event)
witnessed the final day of that tournament.
She dominated the U.S. LPGA Q-School and secured her
tour card, enabling her to compete in the 2006
season. She finished under par for five of the six
qualifying rounds, and finished 12 strokes ahead of
the closest competitor, setting a record for the
largest margin of victory on December 4, 2005. Back
in Japan, on December 15, she played the opening
rounds of the Okinawa Open, becoming the first
Japanese woman to compete in a domestic men's
professional event, although she failed to make the
cut for the final rounds.
She has endorsements deals with Suntory,
Bridgestone, Japan Airlines, Oakley, Paradiso &
Hisamitsu among others.
Her older brother, Yūsaku Miyazato is also a
professional golfer.
