TOUR Insider: Colorful Ryo ready to showcase skills

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Ryo Ishikawa is serious about his golf, but he knows how to have a little fun with the reporters, too.

Feb. 18, 2009
By Helen Ross, PGATOUR.COM Chief of Correspondents

PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. -- Even his golf clubs are famous.

While Ryo Ishikawa was doing several network television interviews on Tuesday afternoon, about 10 Japanese journalists huddled around his red-and-white bag that sat on the corner of the top putting green at Riviera Country Club.

One of the reporters carefully took the head covers off and neatly arranged the clubs in descending order. Then the cameras came out -- and the 17-year-old prodigy's tools of the trade were appropriately digitized. Ryo still was nowhere in the vicinity.

About an hour later, though, as he strode purposefully into the media center, Ryo had an entourage that would have made HBO's Vincent Chase proud. There certainly was no need to announce he had arrived. You could tell by the near stampede.

Once the standing-room-only crowd of about 150 had grown quiet in expectation, Ryo took the microphone and spoke confidently in English.

"Hello, America," he said, taking a page from his idol, Tiger Woods' press conference when he turned pro. "I'm Ryo Ishikawa from Japan."

Ryo proceeded to thank the Northern Trust Open for giving him an exemption to play in his first PGA TOUR event this week. "It's like a dream," he said, adding that the golf course was "fantastic and very challenging.

"I hope I can make the cut, but it is more important for me to play my golf throughout the week.'

Before he began to field questions, though, the baby-faced young pro, who has already won twice on the Japan Tour, couldn't resist having a little fun with the Americans, who had speculated on the correct way to say his first name.

"How you pronounce my name -- it is Ryo," he said with phonetics that sounded like li-YOH. "Everyone, repeat after me, Ryo. That's it, OK, thank you. And I'm looking forward to Thursday. Thank you very much."

Quote of the week

"I think this golf course has character beyond character. I think what sets it apart is it's just old school in the fact it's just golf, straight-out golf. There's nothing tricky about it. It's the roll of the land. Not much earth was moved. It's got up, down, short, left, right; it's got everything, all the shots required, long, short, high. You've got to hit every shot. I think that's what sets it apart. It's a highlight of my schedule." -- Zach Johnson on Riviera Country Club

The rest of the 30-minute press conference was conducted through an interpreter or directly in Japanese. There were six TV cameras, another 15-20 camcorders and countless still photographers recording the young phenom's every word. One enterprising shooter even climbed to the top of a ladder to chronicle the action from above.

More than 100 Japanese reporters were credentialed to cover the Northern Trust Open after the teenager was given the first of four PGA TOUR exemptions that will culminate with his dream of playing in the Masters. That's about five times the normal number.

About 50 of those reporters waited through Monday's rain to walk nine holes with Ryo. Nearly twice that number -- the majority of whom attended a mandatory meeting to explain the TOUR's inside-the-ropes policies -- joined him as he played 18 holes Tuesday.

PGA TOUR veterans Chris DiMarco and J.J. Henry joined Ryo on the back nine. DiMarco is a friend of Ryo's U.S.-based IMG representative, Kevin Lynch, who helped set up the practice round.

"First and foremost, the kid's extremely respectful and humble, which stood out as much as anything," DiMarco said. "As far as his game goes, I don't see any flaws. He can't miss. As soon as he gets more and more experience, he'll be unbelievable.

"The only thing I worry about is whether he gets burned out early."

Henry agreed that the teenager is the real deal.

"Playing with Ryo made it apparent that he is a great talent and is an even a nicer young man," he said. "For him to have all the pieces to compete at such a young age is extremely impressive."

Ryo was grateful for their advice on pin placements and how to attack Rivera. "Playing on the U.S. tour is what I really wanted to do," he said, "and to be able to do so with players I admire is almost like a dream.

BY THE NUMBERS

6	PGA TOUR winners from 2009 in the field
11	Former Northern Trust Open winners in the field
67	Ryo Ishikawa's Official World Golf Ranking

"It didn't pass like a dream, though. It was very fulfilling and satisfying."

American fans will get plenty of chances to watch Ryo and judge for themselves in the next two months. He also has been given exemptions to play in the Transitions Championship, Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard and the Masters.

Ryo wore a yellow long-sleeved turtleneck, white shirt, yellow pants and white belt on Tuesday. He later said such bright colors motivated him, and, not unlike another player he looks up to -- Ian Poulter -- Ryo said he felt like his clothing was almost as important as his clubs.

The poised young man is a veritable rock star in Japan, where he won his first Japan Tour event at the age of 15. He's still a junior in high school, taking liberal arts courses, but he has endorsement deals that reach into the millions annually.

"My wallet got bigger by about 2,000 yen," Ishikawa said, joking, when asked the pluses and minuses of his fame. "Other than that I don't see other changes. I can't think of anything bad."

Ryo seems extremely comfortable -- and patient -- with the media. After his interview, he walked outside the press tent and was immediately surrounded by about 30 journalists -- one of whom even leapt over a railing and down to the ground to get the best spot.

"I don't feel like I'm handling the media; I am just playing golf," Ryo said. "I feel more that people here this week and around the world are helping spread the news for me. I'm happy if I can help spread the game, but it is also because the media tells this story."

And that story is just the beginning.