A nightly look at the day\'s top sports stories, and a first look at the topics St. Louis fans will be talking about tomorrow.
Miroku Suto poses for a photo after the final round of the Junior World Championships golf tournament at Singing Hills Golf Resort on Thursday, July 14, 2022, in El Cajon, Calif.
Miroku Suto poses for a photo after the final round of the Junior World Championships golf tournament at Singing Hills Golf Resort on Thursday, July 14, 2022, in El Cajon, Calif.
Miroku Suto walks off the green after hitting a birdie putt on the ninth hole during the final round of the Junior World Championships golf tournament at Singing Hills Golf Resort on Thursday, July 14, 2022, in El Cajon, Calif.
Miroku Suto, of Japan, poses for a photo after the final round at the Junior World Championships golf tournament at Singing Hills Golf Resort on Thursday, July 14, 2022, in El Cajon, Calif.
Miroku Suto of Japan runs to her cart on the fifth hole during the final round of the Junior World Championships golf tournament at Singing Hills Golf Resort on Thursday, July 14, 2022, in El Cajon, Calif.
Miroku Suto follows through on her tee shot on the sixth hole during the final round of the Junior World Championships golf tournament held at Singing Hills Golf Resort on Thursday, July 14, 2022, in El Cajon, Calif.
Miroku Suto of Japan hits her tee shot on the fifth hole during the final round at the Junior World Championships golf tournament held at Singing Hills Golf Resort on Thursday, July 14, 2022, in El Cajon, Calif.
Miroku Suto of Japan holds up the ball after hitting a birdie putt on the ninth hole as Isabell Duan lines up her putt during the final round at the Junior World Championships golf tournament held at Singing Hills Golf Resort on Thursday, July 14, 2022, in El Cajon, Calif.
Miroku Suto of Japan follows through on her tee shot on the seventh hole during the final round at the Junior World Championships golf tournament held at Singing Hills Golf Resort on Thursday, July 14, 2022, in El Cajon, Calif.
EL CAJON, Calif. (AP) — Miroku Suto of Japan looks like a professional golfer with logos of 11 sponsors splashed across her polo shirt, cap, bag and even her belt. Her parents say the deals are worth in the mid-six figures annually, with some contracts for 10 years. A 12th sponsorship is waiting when she returns to her home three hours outside of Tokyo.
The sponsors are so important that Suto's mother and caddie, former figure skater Miyuki Suto, had her daughter change into a sponsor's belt before she sat for a video interview and carefully arranged her hat in her hands so the logos could be seen.
Miroku Suto has extreme confidence, saying through an interpreter she wants to become “a legend.”
She has a ways to go.
Although Suto won consecutive titles in the 6-and-under age group at the Junior World Golf Championships in 2017-18 on a par-3 course, she hasn't done as well as she's moved up in age.
She struggled this year in the 9-10 age group and tied for 17th, 18 shots behind the winner on a par-74, 4,201-yard layout at Sycuan Resort Willow Glen Course. It’s the third straight time she has left San Diego without a title (the 2020 tournament was canceled because of the pandemic).
While other girls and boys in the 9-10 age group goofed around on the putting green waiting for the awards ceremony, Suto did interviews on the fringe of a nearby green, including one with a Tokyo TV crew that had followed her around for three days on a suburban course. She did show some playfulness when she briefly laid on her back and did the equivalent of a snow angel on the shaded grass.
Otherwise, it’s all business. She and her mother were dressed alike, including wearing coral-colored seersucker shorts.
Suto is well-known in Japan, a golf-crazed country that has produced two major champions in recent year — Hinako Shibuno in the 2019 Women's British Open and Hideki Matsuyama at the 2021 Masters. It is not uncommon for TV ratings in Japan to be higher for women than men.
Even at her age, Suto's golfing exploits are routinely featured on TV, but not so much in the rest in the world — at least not yet.
She is not the first child star. Michelle Wie was 10 when she shot 64 on her home course in Honolulu and became the youngest player to qualify for the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links. At age 13, she won that tournament and remains the USGA's youngest champion. She nearly won an LPGA major at 16 and eventually won a U.S. Women's Open in 2014.
That same year, 11-year-old Lucy Li became the youngest player to qualify for the U.S. Women's Open. The sixth-grader missed the cut at Pinehurst No. 2. Earlier this month, now a pro, Li won her second Epson Tour event and is all but assured an LPGA card for next year.
For sponsorships, Suto came along at the right time.
Li ran into trouble with the USGA three years ago when she appeared in an Apple ad. The rules back then prohibited amateur golfers from using their names or likeness for personal gain in promotions or advertisements for products. The USGA gave her a one-time warning.
But the USGA and R&A — Japan falls under the jurisdiction of the latter — have modernized rules. Starting this year, the rules for amateur status eliminated all advertising, expense-related and sponsorship restrictions. The rule change was aimed at elite amateurs who might need funding to reach their full potential.
The kid still has a long way to go to fulfill that.
Golf's most famous prodigy was a young Californian named Tiger Woods. He won his age division in the Junior World, a tournament that has attracted the best from around the world since 1968, six times in eight years.
Sponsorship money wasn't available for Woods, who appeared on the “Mike Douglas Show” when he was 2. During his World Golf Hall of Fame induction speech in March, Woods spoke passionately about his parents taking out a second mortgage on their home to pay for his development through national junior programs.
Lorena Ochoa of Mexico, another Hall of Famer, won five consecutive Junior Worlds in her age division.
Suto has won other international junior titles, such as the US Kids Championship last year, along with titles in Malaysia and Europe.
Acknowledging through giggles that it is “very difficult” to win these tournaments, she said her putting wasn't good at the Junior World. She also broke her driver during a practice round and a new one was rush-ordered and brought over by the Tokyo TV crew.
Suto, who is home-schooled, said she would like to match Woods' six Junior World titles. She has plenty of time, given the top end is the 15-18 age group.
Does Suto feel any pressure?
And there is no lack of attention or sponsorship as she chases her goals.
More AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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A nightly look at the day\'s top sports stories, and a first look at the topics St. Louis fans will be talking about tomorrow.
One of the tour's biggest events, the championship marks yet another significant golf tournament for St. Louis.
Two weeks after Henrik Stenson was stripped of his Ryder Cup captaincy for Europe, he's a winner in his debut on the Saudi-backed LIV Golf series. The Swede got large and immediate returns. He shot 69 at Trump National. He won by two shots over Dustin Johnson and Matthew Wolf. And the payoff for Stenson was $4 million for the individual win, and $375,000 for his team finishing second. Dustin Johnson now has three top 10s in three event and already has made just over $5.2 million. The LIV Golf series doesn't return until the first weekend in September.
Tiger Woods turned down a Saudi offer Greg Norman says was in the neighborhood of $700 million to $800 million. Norman confirmed a figure he previously told the Washington Post. Norman was speaking to Fox News' Tucker Carlson for an interview aired Monday night. The interview took place Sunday at Trump National in Bedminster, New Jersey. That's where the third LIV Golf Invitational was held. Norman says he wasn't the CEO of LIV Golf when Woods got the offer. Woods has spoken out against the Saudi-funded league. He says players who sign are turning their backs on the PGA Tour.
Joohyung Kim began the Wyndham Championship with a quadruple bogey. Now the 20-year-old South Korean who goes by “Tom” is among the leaders. Kim has made 14 birdies at Sedgefield Country Club since that 8 on his first hole. His 64 put him at 9-under 131 along with Ryan Moore and Brandon Wu. It's been a whirlwind month for Kim. He finished third at the Scottish Open. That sent him on his way to being assured of a PGA Tour card for next season. Moore has a lingering back problem and needs a solo second to regain a full card.
Joohyung Kim is the second-youngest PGA Tour winner since World War II. The 20-year-old South Korean who goes by “Tom” made a name for himself at the Wyndham Championship. Kim shot 61 and captured his first PGA Tour title by five shots. That makes him an instant PGA Tour member and now he's eligible for the FedEx Cup playoffs that start next week. Rickie Fowler missed the cut but still managed to finish No. 125 in the FedEx Cup to advance. Justin Lower missed his card by three-putting for bogey from long range on the final hole.
The dispute between the PGA Tour and the Saudi-funded LIV Golf series is now in the courts. Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau are among 11 players who have sued the PGA Tour in federal court in San Francisco. They are challenging the tour's right to suspend them for joining the rival league. Three other players are seeking a temporary restraining order that would allow them to play in the lucrative FedEx Cup playoffs, the PGA Tour’s postseason, which begins next week. The lawsuit was expected as soon as the Saudi-backed league launched and PGA Tour players began taking signing bonuses to play LIV Golf.
The PGA Tour had its largest number of players make the cut since it went to top 65 and ties this weekend at the Wyndham Championship. With 86 players on the course and storms in the area, that meant the third round didn't finish on Saturday. And now players face a marathon Sunday for the final PGA Tour event of the regular season. Brandon Wu at least ended on a good note. He holed out from the fairway for an eagle. That sent Wu to 12-under par and tied for the lead with Sungjae Im. They still have seven holes to finish Sunday morning and then the final round.
MUIRFIELD, Scotland (AP) — Ashleigh Buhai recovered from losing a five-shot lead at the Women’s British Open by beating In Gee Chun on the fou…
John Huh has the lowest round of his PGA Tour career and it couldn't have come at a better time. Huh shot a 61 on Thursday in the Wyndham Championship. It's the final event of the regular season. Only the top 125 reach the FedEx Cup playoffs and are assured a full PGA Tour card for next season. Huh is at No. 120. He still should be in good shape because nine players ahead of him won't count from having signed on with the rival LIV Golf league. He leads by two over Sungjae Im.
The signing bonus for players jumping over to Saudi-funded LIV Golf is what gets attention. The real temptation might be found in the prize fund. That's one reason the brash and honest Pat Perez says it feels as though he won the lottery. Perez has played two events. He is a combined 11-over par. And he has made $1.8 million. In 21 years on the PGA Tour, he has made more than that for a full season just twice. Branden Grace leads the way at nearly $6.7 million in three events. And there's still five events left this year, AP Golf Writer Doug Ferguson points out.
Miroku Suto poses for a photo after the final round of the Junior World Championships golf tournament at Singing Hills Golf Resort on Thursday, July 14, 2022, in El Cajon, Calif.
Miroku Suto poses for a photo after the final round of the Junior World Championships golf tournament at Singing Hills Golf Resort on Thursday, July 14, 2022, in El Cajon, Calif.
Miroku Suto walks off the green after hitting a birdie putt on the ninth hole during the final round of the Junior World Championships golf tournament at Singing Hills Golf Resort on Thursday, July 14, 2022, in El Cajon, Calif.
Miroku Suto, of Japan, poses for a photo after the final round at the Junior World Championships golf tournament at Singing Hills Golf Resort on Thursday, July 14, 2022, in El Cajon, Calif.
Miroku Suto of Japan runs to her cart on the fifth hole during the final round of the Junior World Championships golf tournament at Singing Hills Golf Resort on Thursday, July 14, 2022, in El Cajon, Calif.
Miroku Suto follows through on her tee shot on the sixth hole during the final round of the Junior World Championships golf tournament held at Singing Hills Golf Resort on Thursday, July 14, 2022, in El Cajon, Calif.
Miroku Suto of Japan hits her tee shot on the fifth hole during the final round at the Junior World Championships golf tournament held at Singing Hills Golf Resort on Thursday, July 14, 2022, in El Cajon, Calif.
Miroku Suto of Japan holds up the ball after hitting a birdie putt on the ninth hole as Isabell Duan lines up her putt during the final round at the Junior World Championships golf tournament held at Singing Hills Golf Resort on Thursday, July 14, 2022, in El Cajon, Calif.
Miroku Suto of Japan follows through on her tee shot on the seventh hole during the final round at the Junior World Championships golf tournament held at Singing Hills Golf Resort on Thursday, July 14, 2022, in El Cajon, Calif.
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