TOKYO, Japan (Reuters) – Former world number one golfer Ai Miyazato said on Monday (May 29) that she would retire at the end of this season, saying that she had been struggling to maintain her motivation for years although her life as a pro had been a happy one.
The Okinawan-born Miyazato, 31 and a nine-time winner on the LPGA tour, told a Tokyo news conference that she had decided last summer that this season would be her final one due to her lack of enthusiasm, which she began to feel four to five years ago.
The ideal she wanted just wasn’t there anymore, she said.
Miyazato won five titles in her rookie season on the domestic tour in 2004 before joining the North America-based circuit on a full-time basis two years later.
She won her first LPGA title at the 2009 Evian Masters in France – a match she said remains one of her favourite memories – and rose to number one in the world rankings the next year.
Miyazato secured 10 top-10 finishes in major tournaments without ever winning one and claimed the last of her 25 professional victories at the NW Arkansas Championship in 2012.
Miyazato smiled for most of the news conference, but her voice broke and her eyes grew shiny as she described the widespread support she’d received during her 15 years as a pro.
She gave no hint of her future plans, saying that she still has the rest of the season left to play.
She said deciding to call it quits has actually given her more motivation.
