Being a big golf fan, I followed this weekend’s ANZ Ladies Masters tournament with great interest. Japan’s Ai Miyazato had tied the course record with a 63 on the first day of the tournament, and started the fourth and final day four big shots ahead of Australian Karrie Webb.

Well, to make a long story short, Webb overcame the deficit and beat Miyazato by one stroke. Too bad for Ai-chan, but no doubt we will be hearing plenty from this 19-year old phenom in the near future.

After the tournament, Miyazato showed her characteristic class and well-beyond-her-years maturity, saying, “I played very well today but I couldn’t get the putts to go in. I’m not disappointed with my week.”

Contrast this with the Tokyo Channel 12 coverage of the final round during which announcer Hidekimi Kojima and even JLPGA golfer Fumiko Muraguchi, who was with him in the announcer booth, gleefully cheered every misfortune and miscue suffered by Webb over the final few holes.

Congratulations to Karrie Webb and Ai Miyazato for treating us to some very exciting golf.

And raspberries to Tokyo Channel 12 for not knowing it is considered to be bad form and bad manners among golfers to cheer against your opponent.