The Knuckleheads of the Day award

Today's winners are Jason Coskrey and his employer The Japan Times. They get the award for the following.

Jason Coskrey of The Japan Times Online is our latest example of really bad golf journalism. The following article was written concerning the possibility of JLPGA golfer Momoko Ueda joining the LPGA Tour.

Japanese athletes have made strides on the world stage in a number of sports, including the Mao Asada-led Japanese dominance of the figure skating circuit, but Japanese golfers have yet to find any real consistent success internationally on the links.

Hisako Higuchi, who is in the World Golf Hall of Fame, did win the 1977 LPGA Championship and two other tour titles some 30 years ago, but achieved her status primarily based upon her 69 titles in Japan. She only played part-time on the LPGA Tour.

Isao Aoki, best known abroad for his runnerup finish to Jack Nicklaus in the 1980 U.S. Open, won one PGA Tour tournament, and is also enshrined in golf's hall. He won 51 JPGA titles.

While South Korea, led by Hall of Famer Pak Se Ri and 2006 LPGA Rookie of the Year Lee Seon Hwa, has prospered in the women's game, Japan has yet to produce any true crossover stars of its own.


Momoko Ueda, winner of five JLPGA tournaments in 2007, became the tour's youngest money-title winner ever this year at just 21.

Just a few years ago the hopes of the nation were placed upon Miyazato, a 14-time champion on the JLPGA. After a dominating showing in the LPGA Q-School, Miyazato was pegged by many to become Japan's first international golf sensation.

However, Miyazato has struggled at times and is winless in 54 tournaments

In the above article, Jason Coskrey was speculating about Momoko Ueda and whether she would join the LPGA Tour. Remember Ueda won the LPGA's Mizuno Classic earlier this month.

Coskrey makes a horrendous blunder in the above article. That no editor at the Japan Times caught the mistake, makes them co-winners today. There is a golfer Coskrey fails to mention.

She was born in 1951 in Hiroshima Japan

She won her first professional golf tournament in 1975. Ironically named The Mizuno tournament.

She won the JLPGA Championship in 1979 and won 8 JLPGA events in 1981 while topping the money list.

In 1982 this player won the first of her 17 LPGA Tour triumphs at The Arizona Copper Classic. Between 1983 and 1991 she finished in the top 10 LPGA money winners eight times.

She was 1987 LPGA Player of the year. The first international player to get that honor.

By the way she was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2005.

Who am I talking about? None other than Ayako Okamoto.

A person being paid to write about the history of Japanese professional golfers playing in the United States should have the name Ayako Okamoto roll off their tongue in two seconds flat. Forgetting Okamoto when talking Japan golf is like a baseball writer not mentioning Babe Ruth when talking all-time homerun hitters. Coskrey deserves to be fired for his omission, for he is totally clueless in addition to not being able to fact check. These four words(LPGA, Tour, Japan, Golfer) in a google search brings up Okamoto in the top five hits.

For the latest example of horrible golf journalism, Jason Coskrey and his employer The Japan Times are today's Knuckleheads of the Day.

Hat tip- Mostly Harmless
Linked to- Adam, Blue Star, Bright & Early, High Desert Wanderer, Leaning Straight Up, Mad Pigeon, Outside the Beltway, Perri Nelson, Pirate's Cove, Populist, Pursuing Holiness, Right Wing Nation, Rosemary, Samantha Burns, Third World County, Woman Honor Thyself,