Ryo Ishikawa's Engagement Defies Demographic Trends

When he arrived at Tokyo's Narita airport on Sunday, Ryo Ishikawa wasn't dwelling on his disappointment over a missed Master's cut, choosing instead to tell the gathered media of his recent engagement.

"I got engaged last month, to a junior high school classmate," revealed the 20 year old Japanese superstar, without mentioning her name.  Rumors of a Ryo romance first surfaced several months ago and speculation has been rife ever since, but the identity of the fortunate future WAG is still a mystery.

The Japanese press have described her only as "a tall, slender beauty with long black hair".  No photos were released, though it seems she was in fact, in Augusta for the Masters last week, and at Bay Hill for the Arnold Palmer Invitational prior to that, and was introduced a number of her fiance's close friends.

"I'm now 20 years old, so I decided the time was right" Ishikawa told reporters without elaborating.  In Japan, age 20 does hold a special significance as the year one officially comes of age, however the average marrying age in Japan is significantly old than that... 30.5 for Japanese men and 28.8 for Japanese women... and those demographic statistics are a source of concern for many of the country's economists, who worry about the subsequent declining birth rates and aging population.

For Japan it's a continuing conundrum that began quite a while ago.  One look at a chart representing Japan's birth rate over the past several decades makes that clear.  It resembles an ultra-treacherous black diamond ski slope, particularly as it's coupled with substantial increases in Japanese longevity.

The crisis is often attributed, at least in part, to the fact that young people are choosing to get married later... or not at all.   And the government has tried everything from cash incentives to policies that provide more support for working parents. They've even gone so far as to develop a government dating site to help those unable to find Mr./Mrs. Right... and in what is perhaps the cutest/coolest initiative: robot babies.

Getting back to Ryo Ishikawa, he'll be competing at the Token Tado Country Club in Nagoya, Japan this week for the Japan Golf Tour's Token Homemate Cup.  As for his recent announcement though many in the media are writing jokingly about legions of disappointed female admirers, I'm guessing that those saddled with the task of coaxing Japan's birth rate higher were delighted weren't unhappy to hear that one of the country's top role models has decided to marry so young.

Fans can congratulate Ryo on his engagment at his Panasonic site.

Ernie Els, Ryo Ishikawa & the Irksome Masters Invite Issue

11/5/11 - Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images AsiaPac

With the Masters just days away, fans, players and members of the media are weighing in on the 'special invitations' debate.

The crux of the controversy, in the minds of many, seems to have boiled down to the special invitation received by Ryo Ishikawa... and the one not (up to this point) received by Ernie Els.

Interestingly, the two players being pitted against each other in the popular debate, happen to have a special relationship that transcends the current polemic. Having played mercurially together at the 2011 Presidents Cup, the likable duo became known as the "the kid and the veteran" and after two losses,  Els' insistence on keeping the pairing intact, was rewarded when Ishikawa summoned the steely nerves required to birdie the final three holes and win their last match together. 

The Masters, with its limited field and mystical aura, is the event every golfer dreams of,  and an element of controversy surrounding the elusive "special invites" is not uncommon,  with little hope of influencing the powers-that-be in Augusta, the opinionating doesn't ultimately amount to much.  It can, however be divisive... and perhaps counter-productive to the global golf cause... in the end. 

A couple of years ago, the always-outspoken Colin Montgomerie raised the invite issue with his "a la China" comment, which was seen by some players as anti-Asian, and... not surprisingly... offended many.

This year, the majority of players and fans appear to be taking a pragmatic view on the issue of the invite.  Acknowledging the attributes of each of these two players (and other's who barely missed inclusion) most seem to accept the fact that the committee at Augusta does things their own way and isn't likely to acknowledge... much less respond to... complaints, criticism or supplication.

In fact, the powerful men on Magnolia Lane are most likely absorbed with an issue potentially much more controversial than their decision on the 2012 special invitations: her name is Virginia Rometty,
and it's a fair guess she's getting more attention from the committee members then Els and Ishikawa combined. 

Note: Ryo Ishikawa fans (like me) can cheer him on with a personal message... here's how to do it.

Ryo Ishikawa Will Soon Be Seen in Nike Casual Wear (updated)

Ryo Ishikawa With Nike Sportswear Creative Director (c) NIKE

Update: Ryo receives a Masters invite!...also check out his new comercial for Asahi Dry Zero a new 0.00% alcohol, beer-tasting beverage.
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Over the past couple of years we've watched Ryo Ishikawa become a truly global golfer. 

He's played all over the world, bringing his whimsical, multi-chromatic style... and an ever-growing gaggle of Japanese journalists... to the top tournaments on multiple contents. - To the extent that it's often hard to keep track of the young superstar. - Right now Mr. Ishikawa is in Puerto Rico for the PGA Tour's Puerto Rican Open,  he'll then head to Florida for the Transitions Championship and the Arnold Palmer Invitational.  Currently ranked 54th, and four places short of qualifying for the Masters, Ryo will be playing these next few weeks for a spot in the field at Augusta.

Japan's number one golfer seems to have magical powers be able to turn on a dime... getting from one end of the earth to another in record time. His appeal seems to transcend boarders as well earning him avid fans everywhere he goes. It's therefore no surprise to hear he's been pursued by top global brands.

In fact, the Japanese phenom just signed a contract with Nike and will soon be wearing "casual shoes and sportswear" from the iconic brand as part of a global campaign designed to convey the importance of "realizing one's dreams through various challenges".  The tenacious 20 year-old golf champion... who's also known to excel on soccer fields and ski slopes... is clearly a perfect poster boy for this message.

As always, the intrepid Noriko Imano filled me in on this story. She also sent me a link to this exuberant Asahi ad. 
 

Golf Style: Persistent Perceptions of Sartorial Shortcomings

The Boys of the Bad Pants Open

A reputation, once it becomes ingrained in the minds of the masses, can be almost impossible to shake... and golf, over the years, has developed a sartorial reputation that's decidedly sordid.

Thanks to decades of garish polyester pants, generations of dorky saddle shoes and endless incidents of argyle abuse, golf fashion has become a joke in the minds of many... with Rodney Dangerfield in Caddyshack as its poster boy.  The perception persists, particularly among those who don't follow the sport, despite the wealth of sophisticated golf styles available today from top designers and a roster of young golf stars with who could hold their own on the runways of Paris as well as the fairways of Augusta National.

"Golf style is an oxymoron along the lines of airline food or congressional ethics."

So began a review of Nike's new Dunk NG Golf Shoes in Freshness, a new style/trend/consumer publication that addresses itself to a discerning community of global consumers.  The shoes, which were recently released in Japan, are of the popular street shoe/casual/sneaker-like variety, in other words, the antithesis of the aforementioned dorky saddle shoes and the review, after beginning with that inauspicious comparison ended on an optimistic note:

"... the brand is doing what it can to rehabilitate golf’s image. This Dunk NG, equipped with Scorpion Stinger Spikes and Tri-LOK system, features a crisp White/Court Green-Black colorway that injects a modicum of street style to the gentleman’s game. They still don’t make golf cool, but it’s a start."

The reviewer... by the sounds of it... isn't much into golf, and his perceptions are probably pretty representative of the non-golfing public in general.  For those of us more immersed in the sport - as spectators or players - it may be unsettling to think that despite the best efforts of designers like Tommy Hilfiger, Lacoste and Ralph Lauren... and even with stars like Ricky Fowler, Rory McIlroy and Ryo Ishikawa... golf, in the minds of many, still isn't considered cool.

Ryo Ishikawa's Six Days in the Snow, a Yearly Tradition

From the Arabian gulf to the the American West, last week saw many of the world's top golfers playing in places both arid and sun-drenched.

Such was definitely not the case for Ryo Ishikawa. Instead of a week in Abu Dhabi or Phoenix, the Japanese golfer hit the snow covered hills of Yuzawa, a winter resort in the mountains north of Tokyo.

The intense physical training of cross country camp has become a annual tradition for the Japan's top ranked golfer, and includes a number of rigorous challenges on the snow and in the gym, as well as mental coaching with emphasis on "relaxation of the mind to achieve high performance in tense situations."  That, and fact that this training takes place far from the fairways and greens, might explain the strategy behind Ishikawa's annual pilgrimage. After all, it wasn't long ago that Japan's young gun was described as far 'too intense' and too focused on golf. 

The change of venue will be short lived however, as Ryo now heads back to the US in hopes of earning a place at the 2012 Masters.  Currently ranked 53rd,  he'll need to be in the world's top 50 to assure himself a spot and... starting with the Northern Trust Open next week...  has a maximum of five events in which to do it.


Needless to say, we'll be pulling for him at each one.  Special thanks to awesome Japanese golf girl, @usagihiyoko for the regular Ryo-updates.

Of Davos, Golf and the Imperative Shift to Sustainable Growth

I've been in the snowy Swiss village of Davos for the past several days... feeling like a bit of an interloper... as the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum takes place around me.  It's been every bit as impressive... and just as quixotic... as I imagined it would be.

I'm not here as a delegate... obviously... nor am I  here with a media outlet, though I am writing.

For almost a year now I've been assisting a quietly brilliant Master of the Universe, Davos Man "world business leader" with a variety of writing projects.  I've taken to calling this my "day job" and that's what I've been doing this week... from the Swiss Alps. 

My access has been somewhat limited by the minion-ish badge I've been wearing, but the experience has been extraordinary.  I've gone to a numerous panels and met a lot of remarkable people and spent quite a bit of time doing last minute research and polishing for the"day job", but even though I'm not "reporting for anyone" or "covering anything",  I'll be taking a lot home with me,  much of it very pertinent to golf and the current focus on growing the game.

The theme of this year's WEF meeting is "The Great Transformation: Shaping New Models" and the conversations I've had here... in the conference hall, and on the frosty streets of town... all seemed to touch on the idea of an imperative shift towards sustainable growth.  What I find striking though, is that almost 5000 miles away, in balmy Orlando FL, the leaders of the golf industry seem to have been focusing on a similar agenda of transformation, and seriously looking at new models at their annual gathering this week during the PGA Merchandise Show. 

Regrettably,  Murphy's law once again intervened, dropping both of these two events (and the Sundance Film Festival and the Year of the Water Dragon celebrations) on the same block of late January days.

I missed the once yearly get-together with my golf writer and golf manufacturer friends and look forward to reading their reports and catching up with their news during the next couple of weeks.  The Farmers Insurance Open and the Abu Dhabi Championship are also taking place now and I've caught only fleeting snippets of each though I've heard latest rumblings (go Ryo / go Tiger).

I'll be back to my normal life... and regular-ish publishing schedule within a couple of days.  However,  the long journey home begins early tomorrow and it's time to pack up my yeti boots and attempt to sleep.

Ryo Ishikawa Officially Comes of Age, Remains Ultra-Intense

© Golf Digest Online

Early this week Ryo Ishikawa officially "came of age".  In Japan the second Monday of January is "Coming of Age Day", a special holiday day where those who've reached 20, the age of majority, are celebrated with festivities, ceremonies and parties. 

Soon after the celebration the intrepid young golfer was heading to Hawaii for the Sony Open which begins tomorrow.  In the meantime, an intense ten hour practice round at Waialea Golf Club golf course seemed to demonstrate that the hardworking Japanese superstar had paid little heed to the words of Lee Westwood who a couple of weeks ago suggested that Ishikawa was "far too intense" and "needed to get away from golf more".

The young phenom will be paired with Webb Simpson and K.J. Choi at Sony, and it's a pretty sure bet they'll be one of the most followed groups. 

The Golf Channel's Randall Mell suggested that the "Bashful Prince" was in golf's "hot seat" as he hasn't yet proved himself on US soil.  While some readers agreed with that assessment, many disagree, citing his myriad wins in Japan... and his youth.  In any case, lots of us are expecting (and looking forward to) a Ryo Ishikawa PGA Tour win in 2012.

As one commenter perceptively wrote,  I think a win by a Ryo Ishikawa will do the world of golf a lot of good. 

Note: Many thanks to Noriko, a friend and an avid Ryo Ishikawa fan in Japan. 

Ryo Ishikawa - Words Worth Remembering for 2012

    Ryo Ishikawa         Photo: Khalid Redza /Asian Tour via Getty Images

If you read this blog... even occasionally... you probably know that Japanese golfer Ryo Ishikawa is a favorite of ours.  We love the quiet reserve that earned him the nickname "Bashful Prince" ...and the exhuberantly colorful sartorial style that had one writer calling him "The Pink Pantster"

2011 was a challenging year for the young champion both on and off the course. He finished the season winless, and at 51 in the world, one spot shy of earning automatic qualification for the Masters.

He'll now need to make the top 50 a week before the Masters, or win on the U.S. PGA Tour, to qualify for a spot in the field at Augusta. To that end the player who was recently called "too intense"  by W#2 Lee Westwood, will be playing very... intensively between now and April.

When epic natural disaster struck his native Japan almost a year ago, the then-19-year-old announced that he would donate all of his golf earnings for 2011 to the Japan relief fund.  I don't know exactly how much that ended up being but by mid-October it was approaching $1.5 million.  It was what he said about his donation however, that earned Ryo Ishikawa a place on business writer Jena McGregor's list of the past year's most inspiring leadership quotes: 

“As my social status in Japan is getting higher, I believe that is one of the responsibilities, to provide for those people who are in need."– golfer Ryo Ishikawa, on his decision to donate all of his 2011 earnings to earthquake relief in Japan.


The list appeared yesterday at On Leadership the blog McGregor writes for TheWashingtonPost.com. She explains that she finds Ishikawa’s quote memorable for a couple of reasons, "...one is his use of the word “responsibility” to describe what he believes he owes the Japanese people because his status in the golf world has risen.  The second is his remarkable willingness to donate all of his earnings of last year to earthquake relief. So many people in power are paid far more handsomely than Ishikawa, and yet we don’t know of many who have made such generous gestures."

If you're a Ryo Ishikawa fan you can do what we did and send the inspiring golf star New Year message here.

Ryo Ishikawa: Heading Down Under Alone After Weekend Ace

JIJI PRESS/AFP/Getty Images

These are certainly some... interesting... times for Ryo Ishikawa.

Over the weekend, the 20-year-old Japanese superstar recorded his second career hole-in-one and came tantalizingly close to defending his title at the Taiheiyo Masters golf championship.   In the end an untimely encounter with a water hazard on 18 resulted in a T8 finish for Ryo.

It would have been an awesome win on a number of levels.  At second on the Japan Tour money list, Ishikawa has yet to win this year, and because he'll be playing in Australia at the President's Cup this week he's got only two events left in which to claim a 2011 victory.

And speaking of Australia, remember how Ryo was going to introduce the world to his mysterious girlfriend this week in Melbourne?  Apparently that's not going to happen.  It seems the media frenzy has only gotten frothier since the girlfriend story broke... to the extent that it now includes rumors of pregnancy.  While Japan's version of the National Enquirer is no-doubt delighted with these developments this last minute change in plans seems to have been made to avoid the marauding media.

And the latest Bashful Prince buzz?  It's now all about the Ishikawa late arrival in Australia. Super-stardom does have a downside. Fortunately, Ryo Ishikawa seems capable of handling just about anything.

Ryo Romance has golf journos "exceeding social norms"

Ryo At the Canon Open, Oct 2011  • • •  Photo by Sankei via Getty Images

At barely twenty, Ryo Ishikawa has already had more experience with the press than most players ever will, and he's often been praised for the grace with which he handles the throngs of reporters who track his every move.

Recently however things have been getting a bit out of hand. To the extent that the youthful golf champion's manager... who also happens to be his Mom... felt it necessary to release a statement yesterday.

The unusual statement got right to the point: "There exists a woman whom Ryo Ishikawa is going out with".

It seems the ultra-endearing "Bashful Prince" has a girlfriend.  She's actually a classmate from junior high school and the relationship's been going on for almost three years.  Rumor has it the lucky lass will be officially introduced at the Presidents Cup in Melbourne next month.  Meanwhile the story is creating a media frenzy in Japan.

It's gotten to the point where family, friends and sponsors of the superstar golfer have been bothered by "news-gathering activities exceeding social norms in the form of making surprise night-time visits and shadowing."

My good friend Norikio... always an excellent source for breaking golf news out of Japan... told me there were four security guards shadowing Ryo on the course recently,  which must be extremely distracting.  And there can be little doubt that fan frenzy, media madness and subsequent security needs will only increase as the President's Cup approaches and this story develops.

Meanwhile, the Japanese Tour heads to the ABC Golf Club this week for the Mynavi ABC Championship where Ryo Ishikawa has a stellar history.  He won the tournament in 2008, and was runner-up last year.  Right now Ryo is going for his first win of the season... and we're hoping he'll get it here. 

At Golf Girl's Diary, the self-proclaimed headquarters of the US Branch of the Ryo Ishikawa Fan Club, we wish Ryo... and his young fiancée... the best.

Meet MiniKawa: Ryo Ishikawa's Cute New Club Cover

Photo: Yoshihiro Iwamoto

If you happen to be in Nagoya Japan this week for the Coca Cola Tokai Classic, you may notice a cute little guy in blue tagging along behind superstar golfer Ryo Ishikawa.

Well that would be MiniKawa, latest addition to the Bashful Prince's club cover collection.   With spiky black hair, a visor and cool looking Swans he's clearly another Ryo wannabe... and on the fairways and greens of Miyoshi Country Club he'll protecting his idol's equipment... so to speak.

However, covering Ryo's club is just a part-time gig for the diminuative MiniKawa.  He's actually a full-time mascot for Aquarius, an ultra-popular sports drink manufactured by The Coca-Cola Company and promoted by Japan's top athletes, including the amazing Japanese women's soccer team and the "Three Kings": star swimmer Kosuke Kitajima, stellar soccer midfielder Keisuke Honda and of course, the awesome Ishikawa, Ryo.

From what I gather, Aquarius comes in quite a number of flavors and is uniquely tasty/refreshing/energizing/AWESOME!  Unfortunately it's not available in the US, and as a result there are plaintive postings on myriad message boards by Aquarius-addicted Americans who tried the bubbly beverage in Japan... and are now desperately seeking a stateside source for the elusive elixir. Apparently there isn't one.

For now, if you're in the US you'll have to enjoy the elusive elixir vicariously, through Ryo and the other athletes at the impressive Aquarius-sports website.  The site's packed with videos and interactive games and MiniKawa will be there to greet you, he's not bilingual however, so if your Japanese language skills are lacking you may want to bring a translator.  



Special thanks to Noriko Imada for keeping us up-to-date on all things Ryo.

Presidents Cup - Top 10 Spots Set, Ryo Fans Rejoice

The automatics are in, with ten of the 12 spots on both the international and US teams set... and here they are.  It's now up to the captains to make their two picks.  In fact, US captain Fred Couples has already confirmed that one of his two will be Tiger Woods, leaving room for just one more US player... and it seems that pick is still very much up in the air.  "We still have another week, but that could easily change anyone's mind," Couples said. "I want these guys to know that the Tour Championship is still deciding my second pick."

On the International side, Greg Norman is also studying his options. With the event taking place in Australia, The Shark has the added pressure of on-site fan support weighing on him, but appears to be keeping it in perspective.  "I'm picking the player, not the flag," Norman said. "How they have played in the last 90 to 100 days is important to me. I'll be looking at their scores and the consistency of how they play."

Meanwhile, fans of Ryo Ishikawa were happy to see him get in after recent struggles put him on the bubble.  A captain's pick in 2009, Ryo is the youngest player ever to compete in the Presidents Cup and his debut at Harding Park impressed many.

The 2011 Presidents Cup will take place at Royal Melbourne Golf Club from November 4-11.

Ryo Ishikawa: Of Milestone Birthdays and Growing Pains

お誕生日おめでとうございます 石川 遼

Ryo Ishikawa, the Japanese teen we've been watching for almost five years is turning twenty.

When he first caught our attention almost five years ago. It was the summer of 2007 and "The Bashful Prince" was a newly minted fifteen-year-old pop culture icon,  having recently become the youngest winner ever of a men's tournament on the Japan Tour.

With a whimsical nickname and a disarming smile, he soon made his way to the international stage, turning professional in 2008,  and by the end of that year becoming the youngest player ever to reach the top 100 of the Official World Golf Rankings.  US golf fans discovered the young phenom in 2009 when he played in PGA Tour tournaments for the first time.

A series of impressive achievements followed as Ryo made his way to the top of the global "Promising Young Guns" shortlist.  It sometimes seemed like nothing could go wrong this precocious trajectory to the top... but... it was sort of inevitable there'd be some growing pains somewhere along the way.

Early this week I heard from friends in Japan that Ryo had been fined nearly $30,000 for missing two recent Japan Tour events.  A shoulder injury... backed up by a note from his physician... was the reason for Ryo's withdrawals, but that didn't sway the powers-that-be at the Japan Tour...  nor did the golf star's commitment to donate all of his 2011 income to the Japan's earthquake relief fund.  Then, just today at the ANA Open in Sapporo,  Ryo missed the cut in his final round as a teenager.  The star was a bit wistful when asked to comment on his upcoming birthday,  "Lonely birthday - I had planned to play this weekend".  And so go the growing pains for a very young player who has risen mercurially in world golf.

It's quite clear that Ryo is eager to compete with the top ranked players in the world, declaring recently that he "hoped to become a player who has the option of playing on the U.S. tour" at the same time he's become such a huge star in Japan that he's often seen as having single-handedly increased Japanese participation in the game... and vital to its continued growth.  One can only imagine the newly-minted-twenty-year-old is feeling the pressure of the weighty decisions that lie ahead,  however he's always shown remarkable thoughtfulness and maturity.  Despite the pressure and a few metaphorical speed bumps on his road to the top, there's little doubt among fans and followers of the game Ryo's rapid rise will continue.   お誕生日おめでとうございます 石川 遼

Thanks go to Noriko, a fellow Ryo fan from Japan who always keeps me informed.

Ryo Ishikawa - Grace, Game & A Growing US Fanbase

Ryo Ishikawa - Bridgestone Invitational / Photo: AP

I was on my way out of Akron when I received the photo at left in a message from my Japanese friend, Noriko.  With it she wrote:

"Ryo has played greatly ! Hope he plays well at the final round. I believe you like his cute smile below ..."

Heading north on OH-8 N towards Twinsburg, the midwestern landscape simmered in the steamy late afternoon sunlight.  I wasn't in Ohio for the tournament... I was actually attending  a somewhat peculiar  a uniquely interesting international convention for twins...  but that's a whole nother story.   

When I found out I'd be able to fit in several hours at the Bridgestone Invitational on Saturday I jumped at the chance, and that turned out to be the day Ryo Ishikawa fired off the bogey-free six-under par 64 that put him into solo second place behind Adam Scott who eventually lifted the trophy... and Scott was stellar... that's for sure.  Rickie Fowler was superlative as well, finishing in a tie for second with world number one Luke Donald.  Another impressive Aussie, Jason Day, shared the T-4 spot with Ryo.  But it was the "Bashful Prince" who stole the spotlight... and grew his US fan base substantially... on Saturday.

If you read this blog you know I'm a huge Ishikawa fan. I first wrote about Ryo over four years ago as he prepared to compete in Junior World at Torrey Pines.  Since then the Japanese teenager has appeared in the pages of Golf Girl's Diary over fifty times... to the extent that some have suggested I rename the blog "Ryo Ishikawa's US Fan Club".   I haven't done that, but as PGA Championship week gets underway here are a couple of my Ryo posts from years past.

Welcome Back to America Ryo Ishikawa

Ryo Style - Ishikawa Awesomeness at the HSBC Champions

Adoring Female Fans Covet Ryo Ishikawa's Balls

Everyone Loves Ryo - ハニカミ王子 - Golf's "It Boy"

Remarkable Ryo Ishikawa - Best Dressed Golfer of 2009

Ryo Ishikawa Serves Snow Cones and Lifts Spirits

What could be better on a hot, humid day than a good old fashioned snow cone?

A snow cone prepared by Ryo Ishikawa perhaps.

Earlier this week in Japan's Miyage Prefecture... where many have been living in shelters since the disastrous earthquake and tsunami... the "Bashful Prince" and other JGTO players, served shaved ice topped with flavored syrup after entertaining the area's children with a session of  SNAG golf.  The Japanese golfers were in the disaster zone to show their support for those most affected by it.  Additionally Mr. Ishikawa will be donating all of his earnings this your to disaster relief... and he's currently on top of Japan's money list.

The following day Ryo was off to the much chillier climate: that of of Kent, UK to play in the Open Championship.

Tiger's Beard, Ryo's "Makiroi" & Golf Guy Grooming

Tiger Woods, photo:Getty Images / / / / / / / / / Ryo Ishikawa, Photo: スポニチ

The Tiger Woods facial hair story is a couple of days old now, and while it's never officially trended on Twitter,  it has generated... and continues to generate... a steady stream of commentary/discussion.

Tiger Woods' Beard even has its own facebook page... and has been described by sports writers in a variety of creative ways, including "some kinda beard thing", "somewhere between a full beard and some chinstraps", and a sexy scruff. 

Golf fans and media types alike have clearly been intrigued and entertained by the recent Tiger transfiguration.  

Affable Andres Gonzales has a prodigious Foo Manchu and hair that flows past his ample shoulders. 
One of the most popular rookies on the PGA tour,  he's known as much for his unconventional grooming as for his unrequited public friendship with the aforementioned Tiger. 

2009 Open Championship winner Stuart Cink spoke about his decision to embrace baldness in a recent video for Dove® Men + Care, a line of grooming products developed specifically for men. It seems his wife Lisa was the one who suggested he take a razor to his remaining locks a few years ago... and he's never looked back.

Then there's  Ryo Ishikawa, the Japanese golf superstar frequently featured in the pages of this blog.  The so called Bashful Prince is anything but bashful when it comes to hairstyle experimentation. He's probably best known for the spiky, Poulter-inspired style that inspired his famous club cover.  I also remember an unusual asymmetrical look.   Then a couple of weeks ago, at the US Open,  Ryo was looking a lot like Rickie Fowler... so much so that fans were doing double takes.

This week the versatile Mr. Ishikawa is in South Korea for the Million Yard Cup, and seems to be stylistically inspired by another R: The teen is currently wearing a playful mop of curls that some in Japan are calling a "Makiroi".  

"Makiroi"... as you may have surmised... actually stands for McIlroy, and who better to be inspired by than the record breaking young US Open winner?  Ryo's spokesman suggested the style was simply created to go with both a visor and a flat biller cap, and indicated that he'd be wearing this style at Royal St. Georges next week for the 2011 Open Championship.

In any case, one thing is clear about Ryo and the other players mentioned here: many fans... and quite a number of sports writers... enjoy their unique looks and stylistic experimentation.

Ryo Ishikawa Poised to Pounce at the Mizuno Open

撮影：岩井康博  / Photo: Yasuhiro Iwa

Upon his return to Japan last week... after a T30 finish at the US Open...  Ryo Ishikawa spoke with characteristic humility, admitting, "I came to painfully realize just how big of a gap there is between me and the rest of the world"

The Japanese golf star... like golfers, golf journalist and golf fans everywhere... was reacting to Rory McIlroy's huge win Congressional Country Club. "He's close to me in age so it's been incredibly motivating, Ishikawa explained, "I hope I can get to that level myself one day." And at nineteen, I think it's safe to say that Ryo Ishikawa has time on his side.

Ryo is the youngest of the what Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee calls the three R's: Ryo, Rory and Rickie, an ultra-hip, uber-talented triad of young gun golf stars with aliterative forenames.

Tomorrow at the Mizuno Open, the young Mr. Ishikawa will be going into the final round, "poised to pounce", after shooting Saturday's lowest round of the day. Two shots behind the South Korean co-leaders, Kim Kyung-Tae and Bae Sang-Moon, Ryo finds himself in a tie for second with yet another South Korean, Cho Min-Gyu.

The DM I received this morning from my Ryo-afcionado friend Noriko, included a link to the photo above. "I think you love this photo" she wrote tweeted, Ryo got two eagles today."

2011 US Open - Ryo Ishikawa, Bubblegum Flatbiller

June 14, 2011 - Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images North America

Ishikawa Incident Illustrates Cultural Dichotomy

Photo: AFP/File, Yoshikazu Tsuno

Ryo Ishikawa, one of our favorite golfers, recently had an issue with his driving. It didn't happen on the golf course, and it has nothing to do with distance, in fact, at the 2011 Masters the Japanese superstar was ranked fifth in driving distance.

What happened to Ryo, was the kind of thing that happens to many 19-year-olds: He got into trouble for an infraction that took place behind the wheel.



To many of us... in the US and other western nations... it probably seems rather benign: the golf champion, who'll turn 20 in September, was cited for driving (unknowingly, it turns out) without a valid licence.  It seems the international driving licence Ishikawa recently obtained in the US was not legal in Japan, because the law there says he would have needed to be abroad for at least three full months to make it valid. Apparently the infraction was discovered when Ryo was spotted driving a silver Audi he'd won, to a local tournament. Neither Ryo nor his Dad were aware of the legal nuance.

Now here's where the cultural dichotomy part comes in: this is a big story in Japan. A story that came with a very profuse public apology... from the golfer himself, his father and his sponsors.  Yes, Ryo Ishikawa is a bona fide superstar in Japan, but were this to have happened to a US star... even the biggest, most role model-ish star... it would hardly have made the news. And when it did, the story would likely be told with a sheepish smile and be all about how it was an innocent mistake... not his/her fault.  There most probably wouldn't be an apology because in our culture apologizing equals an admission of guilt or personal responsibility.  In Japan, on the other hand, an apology is seen more as a gesture of humbleness and concern for others, than as an admission of personal wrongdoing. Apologizing, and expressing a commitment to do better, are therefore seen as basic courtesy.  Ryo made no excuses for what had happened, stating at a Narita airport news conference yesterday, “It’s my own carelessness. I’m very sorry for causing a trouble to my sponsors and golf fans with my fault."  There wasn't the slightest inference that the rule was silly... or should be reviewed.  In fact, the repentant golfer finished by saying, "I will devote myself every day to being more self-aware than ever as a professional golfer. I am sorry,"

Seen from this side of the world the reaction seems, to say the least, curious, as we're far more used to seeing our stars... and politicians, and corporate chieftains... evading rather than apologizing. The fact is, here in the US sports agents, reputation management consultants and corporate attorneys would likely discourage even a hint of contrition in public statements.  In Japan, assuming one's personal responsibility, is still highly valued.  This may make life more difficult for superstars, but many feel it helped the nation's population cope with the recent natural disasters.
 
Part of what the world finds so enchanting about Ryo Ishikawa is his soft-spoken, unpretentious reserve, and as he gets ready to compete in the US Open next week we wish him the best. We'll certainly be pulling for him next week at Congressional Country Club.

Ryo Ishikawa Works to Resolve Short Game Struggles

 Photo: YURIKO NAKAO Credit: REUTERS

Speaking at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan earlier today, Ryo Ishikawa responded sagely to questions about his recent on-course struggles.

The Japanese superstar... who is not yet twenty... has missed the cut in his last two tournaments and carded an uncharacteristic 12-over 83 in the first round of the Japan Golf Tour Championship. His fans were clearly concerned. So too, I presume, was anyone connected to golf in Japan... in almost any capacity.

Such is the star power of the one they call the Bashful Prince.  He's the face of the game in Japan, and for years has been credited with reviving the country's interest in men's golf. To that end when Ryo struggles, the golf population's collective malaise will inevitably fall squarely on his young shoulders.  Fortunately, the 19-year-old appears able to support that weight and seems to handle professional golf's inherent disappointments as well as he's handled his own amazing golf triumphs.

"Most of the problems stem from my putting and short game," Ishikawa said today at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club event, "There is no tournament this week so I'll have some good practice and hopefully I can put these past two tournaments behind me." 

The entire world will be able to assess Ryo's "recovery" in a couple of weeks. He has an exemption for the U.S. Open, which starts on June 16.