Tournament article
Shigeo Nagashima Invitational SEGASAMMY Cup Golf Tournament 2019
Ryo Ishikawa dedicates the "2V in a row" to his beloved mother-in-law who has passed away
Ryo was under so much pressure and he felt very unconfident being the leader of the tournament, that feeling came out as he had trouble shots on the 1st hole. He went from right side rough to the green's right side rough, but his 3rd shot by 58 degrees SW went into the cup for chip-in birdie start. On the 3rd, he chose to use the Driver for the 2nd shot on the fairway and took it to the front skirt of the green and eventually putt in the 5-meter. On the 5th hole, he again chipped in from the green edge with SW. At one moment his lead was widened to 6 strokes. His big lead on the front nine lasted enough and he has made the wire-to-wire victory.
Ryo recalls that this victory was not his own effort, he felt some special power helping him out. As he disclosed the fact that his mother-in-law has passed away on Thursday morning. He couldn't decide whether to play in the tournament or stay with his beloved wife in sorrow. Ryo and his wife have known each other since junior high school and Ryo and his wife's family were very close since then. His mother-in-law has been suffering cancer from 1 year ago, he went to see her at the hospital, and she told him to "do your best. I will fight strong like Ryo is."
"She was very positive and fought tough against the illness."
He was under shock, but he knew his responsibility as Players' Chairman and as a professional golfer, but he really couldn't decide what was best for Ryo Ishikawa himself to choose. But his wife told him to play in the tournament. Those words supported and pushed Ryo to fight his own battle.
"I didn't know if I could concentrate on golf, but when I got to the tee box, I felt calm and I told myself that mother-in-law will be looking over me. Then suddenly I was focused."
On the final hole he took a glance at the blue sky over the course and thanked her. His eyes were watery, after tapping in the winning putt, he quietly made a fist pump. He dedicated his first ever 2 in a row victory to her.