SHOPRITE LPGA CLASSIC PRESENTED BY ACER

September 30, 2020

Hinako Shibuno

Seaview, A Dolce Hotel

Press Conference

Q: How excited are you to be competing at the ShopRite LPGA Classic for the first time? Do you think it will be a good test with a major next week?

HINAKO SHIBUNO: I am very excited to be a part of the ShopRite LPGA Classic this week. I appreciate the sponsors for the invitation.

It is definitely one of the most known LPGA tournament for people in Japan. I’ve heard that the course is very similar to the course in Japan, and I thought so from playing 36 holes last couple of days. Because some Japanese players have won this tournament in past years, I would say I have a chance to show better performance here this week.

It would be great preparation for the major championship coming up next week, but I do what I have to do to compete in the tournament. Nothing is very special.

Q: You decided not to take up LPGA membership last year. Would you like to become a member now? Did you have plans to go to Q-School this year before COVID-19 canceled it?

HINAKO SHIBUNO: Yes, I would like to become a member of LPGA. I was going to go to Q-school this year, and I still want to try next year.

Q: What changed? What made you decide that you wanted to come compete in the U.S.?

HINAKO SHIBUNO: When I played with So Yeon Ryu and Nasa Hataoka at Japan Women's Open Championship last October, I realized that they were on totally different levels with me. That incident made me want to go to the U.S. and compete in more high-level tournaments.