Miyazato cites drop in motivation for retiring at season's end

Thank you for all the excitement! Best of luck in your next endeavors!

Poor pet. Time to move on and find inspiration and satisfaction elsewhere. She's at a great age, and can do anything she likes. Good luck to her.

I had to read half of the article before I had any idea who she was. So, she plays golf, right? Not everybody knows this, or cares.

Who is Miyazaki Ai? The technique is to keep you guessing to make you read half way through the article.

Seems her decision to retire is heavily linked to her not being able to win a major when she was at the top of her game rather than losing motivation/interest in golf itself.

I actually didn't know she had never won a major or that a golfer could reach n1 without winning one. Can't recall a tennis player reaching n1 without having ever won a grand slam. Anyway, hope she wins one before the end of the season now that she has less/no pressure. Might even change her mind who knows (only 31yo, fans love comeback stories). Good luck to her and if she needs a new caddy well...(am fairly cheap).

I had to read half of the article before I had any idea who she was. So, she plays golf, right? Not everybody knows this, or cares.

She is one of the biggest, some may argue THE biggest women's star on the JLPGA tour. Anyone who follows anything in sports here in Japan will notice her in a split second.

She is very small in stature, for a woman's pro golfer, at 155 CM tall, but her charisma and power on the golf course were legendary, in the short time she was at the top of her game, she was one of the most recognized sports figures in Japan.

Nearly all Japanese will know of her, or will have heard about her, he face was plastered all over newspapers and on TV commercials throughout the country for nearly a decade.

Looks like she needs to change her "mental coach." That might be the cause of her troubles in the first place.

How could you not know it was about golf. It is in red Golf above the heading. At first I assume she was a actor until I notice the Golf header in red. Sportsman alway assume life is over when they retire. At Ai age it is only just began, Still young enough to breed and enjoy rising a family. Enjoy skiing and surfing and cultures. I see a very enjoyable life for the ex sportsman

Classy person. Wish her the best.

She was pretty good back a few years ago. Congrats to her on a career most golfers anywhere would gladly take.

Sometimes I think the powers that be on this web site forget that the vast majority of those that visit the site aren't actually Japanese and will either a) not know who it is they are telling us about and/or b) not really care very much. Double whammy for me on this particular occasion, I have to say...

@Geoff Gillespie 

maybe slow news day?

A very popular sporting personality in Japan today announced her retirement at the relatively young age of thirty-one. It was major news and every news station ran her press conference, therefore "Japan Today" ran an article about it.

I am not sure what people expect to read about in "Japan Today", but I think the hint is in the title.

Sometimes I think the powers that be on this web site forget that the vast majority of those that visit the site aren't actually Japanese and will either a) not know who it is they are telling us about and/or b) not really care very much. Double whammy for me on this particular occasion, I have to say...

Below the caption: "Japanese golfer Ai Miyazato." And if you missed that, you'd simply have to make it as far as paragraph four. Beyond that, as beowulf said, you're reading "Japan Today."

"B" is a typo...no meaning... my bad

The media pushed Miyazato too hard for the Masters, and when she couldn't win one, of COURSE she lost motivation. She shouldn't be bowing to us for retiring, we should be bowing to her for doing so amazingly despite our (media in particular) expecting too much. Here's hoping now that she's decided to retire she can enjoy the last few games... and who knows, maybe the lack of pressure will help her win.

Below the caption: "Japanese golfer Ai Miyazato." And if you missed that, you'd simply have to make it as far as paragraph four. Beyond that, as beowulf said, you're reading "Japan Today."

True. But to assume that we any of us know or care who she is or what she's achieved is a bit of a leap, don't you think? And it is hardly the most newsworthy story of the day, is it? Yes, if you're a golf loving Japanese citizen, it might be...but none of us are, are we...?