Community Voices: International golf comes to Cumming

With the annual blooming of azaleas and dogwoods, springtime brings the inevitable arrival of the planet’s top professional golfers as they head to Augusta for the season’s first major golf tournament – The Masters.

On the Wednesday before Masters Week, The Olde Atlanta Golf Club in South Forsyth was abuzz with news that the number 42 ranked player in the world, Yuta Ikeda, was on the course practicing before heading east to Augusta National Golf Club and his second appearance in the prestigious tournament since turning pro.

When I got wind of Ikeda’s presence, I grabbed my notepad and camera and set out to catch up with the 32-year-old man from Chiba, Japan. When I found Yuta and his group practicing on the 12th green, he graciously acceded to an interview and to let me follow him through the rest of his practice.

The 17-time winner on the Japanese Golf Tour has played once before in the very exclusive Master’s Field and was obviously thrilled at having another opportunity. My obvious question to him was, with all of the great courses between here and Augusta, why did he choose Olde Atlanta for practice?

Not only did his answer make sense, but it should make all of the Olde Atlanta members think a little more highly of their home course. Ikeda said through his interpreter and traveling companion who would only identify himself as Kenny M., “Its tight fairways require pinpoint accuracy for golf shots much like those required at the Masters and the undulating greens help him to sharpen his short game.”

In addition, the highly ranked international golfer chimed-in with better English than I speak Japanese to say he thought the driving range and practice areas were in his word “beautiful.”

Ikeda last played the Masters in 2010 with a respectable finish in 29th place out of a field of around 144 of the best in the business. This year he hoped to finish no worse than 15th, but as with many fellow competitors brutally high and swirling winds sent him home early when he failed to make the cut with a two day total of seven over par.

One thing is for sure, many members who normally root for an American to win the prestigious Green Jacket, were keeping an eye on the scoreboard to see if the golfer they hosted at their club would make a run at history as the only Asian-born player to win The Masters. Unfortunately, fate and Mother Nature intervened giving the jacket to another international golf figure – Sergio Garcia.

Three weeks after the 81st Masters, Ikeda’s visit continues as a hot topic at this club.