Japanese · Naha, Japan · Born 19 June 1985Japanese professional golfer who became World No. 1 and won 9 LPGA Tour titles including the 2010 Evian Championship before retiring in 2017.
Ai Miyazato was born on 19 June 1985 in Higashi, Okinawa, Japan, into a golfing family; her father and both brothers, Yūsaku and Kiyoshi, became professional golfers, with Yūsaku winning seven times on the Japan Golf Tour and playing in the 2018 Masters. Miyazato won a professional event on the Japan LPGA Tour as a 17-year-old amateur in 2003, and turned professional in 2004, developing into one of the most consistent players in the sport, becoming the world's top-ranked golfer on three occasions in 2010. Miyazato won nine times on the LPGA Tour and 15 more on the Japan LPGA Tour, along with two Ladies European Tour titles, winning that circuit's Order of Merit in 2011 and the William and Mousie Powell Award for sportsmanship in 2012. Miyazato retired from professional competition, closing out a career built on remarkable consistency across three continents' tours, and remains one of the most accomplished golfers to emerge from Japan's Okinawa Prefecture, part of a golfing family that produced three professional siblings.
First Japanese golfer to reach World No. 1, winning LPGA Evian Championship
How They Played
Precise short game, consistent putting, strategic course management
Lasting Impact
Pioneered Japanese women's golf on global stage, inspiring next generation
Career Honours
- 9 LPGA Tour victories
- LPGA Evian Championship 2010
- Former World No.1
Japanese Athletes