ROGERS — Ai Miyazato might be one of the most pleased golfers on the LPGA Tour this week.
Miyazato, the No. 6 player in the world in the latest Rolex Rankings, suffered a rare missed cut at last weekend’s Manulife Financial LPGA Classic in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. But the perfect remedy for a poor performance could be waiting this weekend, as she prepares for the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship.
In four appearances at Pinnacle Country Club, Miyazato has felt right at home. There was a fourth place finish in 2008, a 10th-place fi nish in 2009, a ninth-place showing in 2010 and last year’s third place fi nish.
Miyazato, a former No. 1 player in the world during the 2010 season, is no stranger to Top 10 fi nishes. But her streak of strong performances at Pinnacle Country Club has turned this weekend’s event into one of her favorites on the LPGA Tour.
“Do you know why? Because I love this golf course,” Miyazato said. “This golf course has very tight fairways and small greens, so it really suits my game.
“So that’s why I think I’ve played well on this golf course.”
Miyazato was born and raised in Okinawa, Japan and took up golf at the age of 4. Coached by her father, Masaru, she was turned professional in 2006 and quickly ascended to the top of the world rankings.
By 2010, Miyazato rose to the top of the Tour rankings. For 11 weeks, she held the No. 1 position in the Rolex Rankings, a position she admits came with added pressures.
“It’s really tough to explain,” Miyazato said. “When I got to No. 1 in the world ranking, I had never done that before and in that moment I was very nervous. It was really tough to control myself, too, and that’s why I struggled with that a little.”
Miyazato might have fallen from the No. 1 ranking, but her overall career hasn’t exactly fallen off much in the last two years. With seven top 10 finishes and one victory this year at the LPGA LOTTE Championship in Oahu, Hawaii, Miyazato is clearly still one of the top players in the world.
“Once you take out Yani (Tseng) there’s about 15 players that could win every week,” former Arkansas All-American and current No. 2 player Stacy Lewis said. “She’s awesome. Ai is one of the best players out here. She’s so consistent, she hits it straight and she makes more putts than anybody out here.
“Actually, I thought she was ranked higher than sixth.”
Even with more than $6 million in career earnings and eight career victories, getting back to that No. 1 world ranking does remain Miyazato’s primary goal.
“It was a great experience being No. 1,” Miyazato said. “Not many players can get experience like that, so I felt really proud of myself.”
If anything, last week’s missed cut was more of a fluke than anything else for Miyazato, who hadn’t missed a cut on the LPGA Tour since the 2011 British Open.
Miyazato is glad to see the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship up next on the schedule.
“It’s just great spectators around here,” Miyazato said. “They know about the golf, so they’re cheering every player and that helps a lot for everyone.
“It’s just a great tournament. It’s only a three-day tournament, so you have to be aggressive and try to make birdies every single hole. And that’s really exciting for all of the spectators, too. So it’s just a great atmosphere here.”