Ryo feeling ready for Augusta

Japanese starlet pleased with Masters preparations

Last updated: 11th March 2010   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Ryo feeling ready for Augusta

Ishikawa: back at Augusta next month

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Japanese teenager Ryo Ishikawa insists he could not be any better prepared as he builds up for his second appearance at The Masters.

The Asian prodigy - who won four times last year and made history by topping the Japanese Tour's money-list at the age of just 18 - made his debut at Augusta last April.

On that occasion he missed the halfway cut and also went on to fail to reach the weekend at the Open Championship later in the year.

However, 12 months on, Ishikawa believes he is better-equipped to demonstrate his undoubted ability at the season's first major.

The Saitama native is now up to 37 in the world rankings on the back of his exploits over the past year and believes he has learned valuable lessons from his last Masters visit.

"I feel like I've studied for one whole year this time," he told reporters.

"For a school final exam, I used to cram for two, three weeks but failed because I hadn't learned the basics.

"Now I don't think I could have prepared myself any more. I want to bring everything I have to the United States without leaving anything at home.

"I take my 2009 earnings title as something past and it doesn't weigh on my mind much. It hasn't given me much pressure."

Driving practice

The youngster revealed he has been working hard on his already renowned driving ability in practice and is pleased with the results.

"I used the driver for 200 out of 400 shots a day," he added. "I think I have achieved my goal more or less."

Ishikawa is on the verge of heading to America to begin his build-up to The Masters.

He will take part in next week's Transitions Championship and the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill the following week before training his sights on Augusta National.

The teenager would have taken part in the WGC-CA Championship which starts at Doral on Thursday, but had to forego the event to attend his high school graduation ceremony.