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Inside & Outside the Ropes with Hawaii LPGA Tour Rookies Ayaka Kaneko and Stephanie Kono!

Hawaii's LPGA Tour Rookies Ayaka Kaneko & Stephanie Kono share their exclusive thoughts with 808Golf.com respectively. The young women's thoughts posted below are verbatim. Ayaka's LPGA BIO click here | 808Golf BIO click here. Stephanie's LPGA BIO click here | 808Golf BIO click here.

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2012 Navistar LPGA Classic- RTJ Golf Trail, Capitol Hill, The Senator, Prattville, Ala., Sep 20-23. Ayaka 75-72--147 (3-over par) M/C. Stephanie 73-76--149 (5-over par) M/C.

Ayaka... "Hi folks,

I had my last LPGA tournament in Alabama. I really wanted a good week so I could maintain my card for next year but it didn't happen. I wasn't quiet ready for the tournament because of the swing changes. I was hitting my driver sideways and wasn't hitting the irons solid. I made a 8 on No. 17 on Thursday and it just killed the momentum but other than that hole I played descent. I just a lot going on with my swing changes. My season is over and I have been preparing for Q school which in late November. I am going to practice hard and get my game in shape. I will keep you all posted here and via facebook. Thank you for supporting me and LPGA through out the year. See you soon."

Stephanie... "Hi everyone! I just completed my last strong of tournaments for the year, at Kinsgmill and at the Navistar classic in Alabama. Unfortunately, I didn't get the results I wanted, and I was disappointed as my year came to an end. I felt especially disappointed in Alabama, as my irons were very sharp and I gave myself some great chances at birdie when I managed to find the fairway. Both Kingsmill and Navistar hosted great tournaments, and I had a great time in both places. For now, I have a couple of months to get ready before I head back to Q-school. This year was a huge challenge for me, and I am thankful for every experience I have had. Like I have said many times before, I know I will be stronger because of the struggles I have endured, especially this year. I don't know what is in store for me next, but I know that I have learned from every tournament and every shot this year, and even though my start on the LPGA was definitely not the way I thought it would be, it was still one of the best years I have had in my life and I would not trade it for anything. I will do my best to get back out there and to achieve my goals and dreams. Thank you to everyone who has rooted for me, supported me, and helped me along my way. I am extremely blessed and very grateful. Until next time!! -Stephanie"

2012 Kingsmill Championship- Kingsmill Resort, River Course, Williamsburg, VA, Sep 6-9. Ayaka 72-74--146 (4-over par) M/C. Stephanie 75-77--152 (10-over par) M/C.

Ayaka... "Hi guys, I have missed 3 cuts in a row......not good. I finally putted better this week but my swing wasn't there. I started working with my new golf coach, Steve Bann. We made a lot of changes before the tournament and I guess I didn't have enough time to adjust but I feel like I am moving to the right direction and I believe that the hard work will pay off soon. It's all about being patient and believing in myself. This week was Kingsmill Championship which was held in Williamsburg, Virginia. We got rained out on Thursday and I was not able to finish the first round so I had to come back early in the morning the next day. The course was soaking wet and the greens were bumpy and slow. I struggled with the speed but made some good putts. I am pleased with how I putted this week.....much better :) I am not going to the British Open next week so I have a week off. I will work hard on my swing and stay healthy. Navistar will be my last tournament for the season and it will determine weather I will keep my card for next year or need to go back to Q School. It will be a life changing week. Please keep your fingers crossed for me!"

Stephanie... see 2012 Navistar LPGA Classic write up.

2012 CN Canadian Women's Open- The Vancouver Golf Club, Coquitlam, BC, Canada, Aug 23-26. Ayaka 74-76--150 (6-over par) M/C. Stephanie 77-82--159 (15-over par) M/C.

Ayaka... "Hi guys, I have missed 3 cuts in a row......not good. I finally putted better this week but my swing wasn't there. I started working with my new golf coach, Steve Bann. We made a lot of changes before the tournament and I guess I didn't have enough time to adjust but I feel like I am moving to the right direction and I believe that the hard work will pay off soon. It's all about being patient and believing in myself. This week was Kingsmill Championship which was held in Williamsburg, Virginia. We got rained out on Thursday and I was not able to finish the first round so I had to come back early in the morning the next day. The course was soaking wet and the greens were bumpy and slow. I struggled with the speed but made some good putts. I am pleased with how I putted this week.....much better :) I am not going to the British Open next week so I have a week off. I will work hard on my swing and stay healthy. Navistar will be my last tournament for the season and it will determine wether I will keep my card for next year or need to go back to Q School. It will be a life changing week. Please keep your fingers crossed for me!"

Stephanie... "Hi guys! Canada was beautiful and I was feeling great about my game, but unfortunately, I did not have a good scoring week. For everyone that has been following me this season, it has been a really long, rough season, and I admit it is probably the biggest struggle I have ever had to endure. To be honest, I have never had a length of time where I have REALLY struggled with my golf game, and sometimes I wonder why this is happening at this point in time. It is difficult to struggle at any point in a golf career, but I have had to stop myself from being embarrassed or ashamed for posting less-than-satisfactory scores at the highest level in women's golf. It is difficult to have such high expectations and not come close to meeting them. But what I have learned is to embrace the little personal victories that I conquer on the golf course and in my life in general. Even though I did not play as well as I thought I would in Canada (or all year, for that matter), I still saw progress and am looking forward to the next three weeks on the road. Hopefully I will have a strong performance to close, but I am looking forward more to the progress that I know I will make each week. One of the things I have learned is that going through this has made me a stronger person, and not just on the golf course. I am still so thankful for what I learn from golf, through both victories and failures, and for the amazing friendships I have created this year. So thank you everyone, for following me and encouraging me this entire year. I am most thankful for my wonderful sponsors, parents, family, coaches, and friends. I will be writing in two weeks from Virginia, where the popular Kingsmill Championship is back on the LPGA schedule. Until then, I hope everyone enjoys the rest of the summer!!"

2012 Safeway Classic Presented by Coca-Cola- Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club, Ghost Creek Golf Course, North Plains, Ore., Aug 17 - 19. Ayaka 78-73--151 (7-over par) M/C. Stephanie 78-70--148 (4-over par) M/C.

Ayaka... see 2012 Kingsmill Championship write up.

Stephanie... "Last week in Portland was a great week for me in terms of building self confidence. I started off slowly, but was able to put together some great holes on the second day to post a solid score. What I gained from that week was belief, which I wasn't quite sure I had up until this point. It was a great feeling to be out on the golf course and feel like I could make a ton of birdies and hit quality shots. It was a lot of fun for me, and I am hoping to carry that momentum into this week in Vancouver. The course here at Vancouver Golf Club is absolutely beautiful, but the greens are a little bit crazy on the front nine, with severe slopes and undulations. I feel very excited about this week, and I am looking forward to more good shots and putts that will hopefully string a good score together. I am also hoping to get over a cold soon so that I can explore the beautiful area more. :) Stay tuned!!

stephanie"

2012 Jamie Farr Toledo Classic Presented by Kroger, Owens Corning and O-I- Highland Meadows Golf Club, Sylvania, OH, Aug 9 - 12. Ayaka 67-73-75-72--287 (3-over par) T65 $2,918. Stephanie 74-71--145 (3-over par) M/C.

Ayaka... "The Jamie Farr Toledo Classic:

I hit the ball really well but I didn't make anything. I missed so many putts that were so makable. Last week could have been really good week for me but my putting ruined it. The stoke was a little off and I misread a lot of putts. Very disappointing......

This week I am in Portland, Oregon. The Safeway classic is held at the Pumpkin Ridge which is one of my favorite courses. I am feeling good about my game right now so we'll see how it goes this week!"

Stephanie... "Hi everyone! It was nice to get back into competition mode again after almost a month of only practice and preparation. I am excited for the next couple of months because I have two three-week stretches with one week of break in between. Toledo, the first stop, was a great course.

It was fun and offered some good opportunities for birdies with good shots. I got off to a rocky start, which I was trying to recover from for the rest of the round and the following day. I felt a lot of positives, and I feel like I was close to putting together two good rounds. Now I am in Portland, and the course is completely different from the last. The greens are firm and fast, and the wind picks up quite a bit in the afternoon. I will do my best to focus on the positives from last week and add more this week at Pumpkin Ridge. It is awesome to be back after playing in my first US Women's Amateur here in 2006. Plus, Oregon is one of my favorite states and I love being here. Thanks again for following and following my journey!"

2012 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship Presented by P&G-- Pinnacle Country Club, Rogers, Ark., Jun 29 - Jul 1. Ayaka 75-72-147 (5-over par) M/C. Stephanie 82-79--161 (19-over par) M/C.

Ayaka... "Hello Everyone,

Another miss cut! I didn't putt well again......I had 37 putts on Friday. I putted better on Saturday but it was too late. I am not sure what is going on with my putting. I have tried to change my routine, setup, grip, etc.....still can't figure it out! This game is very frustrating! The good news is I have a month off so I can rebuild my game. I know exactly what I need to work on.

My next tournament is going to be the Jamie Farr Toledo Classic which is in August. I have a month off but please follow me via facebook!

Aloha :)"

Stephanie... "hi everyone! My ball striking, putting, and short game were all just a little off during the Walmart Classic. It's really frustrating not being able to put good scores together, and it has been hard to maintain confidence, but as I've said before, I just need to keep working hard and believing. It will be nice to take a few days off before thinking of my game plan for the next couple of weeks that I have off before playing in Portland. Hopefully the work that I put in will pay off soon! If not, I know that it will eventually and there is a reason why I am experiencing difficulties. Hope everyone had a great fourth of July and check back in August!!! -Stephanie"

2012 Manulife Financial LPGA Classic-- Grey Silo Golf Course, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, Jun 21 - 24. Ayaka 73-68-70-75-286 (2-over par) T66 $2820. Stephanie 74-76--150 (8-over par) M/C.

Ayaka... "Hi there,

We played in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada last week and it was great! A lot of spectators came out to watch, the volunteers were very organized and well managed, and the course was beautiful. We got suspended on Thursday and had to come back the next day to finish up but other than that it was all good :) My game is finally getting better but I still need to figure out something about my putter. I hit the ball really well but missed so many putts. It was very frustrating. I changed the putter on Tuesday to SuperStroke (Bruce Sizemore design) and my speed got so much better so I'm happy about that.

I usually do housing but I decided to stay in the hotel this time. I had a roommate. Me and Mindy Kim shared a room together and it was fun. I get too lonely by myself sometimes so I'm glad I had someone to stay with :)

This week I am in Rogers, Arkansas. It is SO hot here. Unfortunately, I am allergic to grass so I need to cover my skin........I am wearing long pants and long sleeves so I am melting. >__< It is dangerously hot. I hope I don't pass out haha Gotta drink a lot of water!!!

Please follow me and my friends on LPGA.COM"

Stephanie... "hi everyone! As you can see, I am still struggling to get out of my own way on the golf course. I am really tired of playing poorly, but I know this process is something I have to go through and coming out of it will make me stronger. This week we are in Arkansas, where it is very very hot. Waterloo was also pretty warm but it doesn't compare to here. I do want to thank Manulife Financial for doing a great job with their inaugural tournament. It was a lot of fun and we got some great gifts, like a blackberry and lululemon gear, which is my favorite clothing brand ever! Arkansas has been great so far also and my goal for this week is to take it one shot at a time. See you later!"

2012 Wegmans LPGA Championship-- Locust Hill Country Club, Pittsford, NY, Jun 7 - 10. Ayaka 80-80--160 (16-over par) M/C. Stephanie 85-76--161 (17-over par) M/C.

Ayaka... "Hello Everyone,The Wegmans LPGA Championship was an awesome experience for me. It was my first majoy as a pro. The course played really hard, the rough was sticky, wet and long, the greens were tiny, the fairways were narrow, and the course played long. I thought everything about it was challenging! Unfortunately, I did not hit the ball well enough to keep the ball in the fairways and greens so I needed to lay up a lot and could not get up and down. It was very frustrating. Putting was coming along, I putted much better during the second round. I just need to work on my swing a little and keep practicing putting. I have a week off and I am going to Waterloo, Canada for the Manulife Financial LPGA Classic. Please follow my journey on LPGA.COM and my facebook fanpage!"

Stephanie... "Hi everyone! These past two weeks in New Jersey (the Shoprite Classic) and Rochester (the Wegman's LPGA championship) were very frustrating for me. My game does feel like it is getting back on track, but I just didn't have the scores to prove it. At the shoprite I got off to a terrible start, but did my best to try and salvage my two rounds, which I almost did, except I couldn't convert a few key birdie opportunities. However, I was really glad that I was giving myself so many good chances to make birdies. I felt confident coming into Rochester, but I kept missing the fairway by a few yards, which meant I was constantly pitching back out into the fairway and trying to get it up-and-down from 80-100 yards for par. The course was playing very tough, and hitting the fairway was more essential than ever. Even though I did not score nearly as well as I thought I would, I feel very close to putting together some good rounds. Next up for me is the Manulife Financial LPGA classic in Toronto. I am looking forward to this event because I have never been in Canada before, and it is also a brand new tournament and the LPGA is expecting some great crowds to come out. As always, I will keep you all updated on my progress!!"

2012 ShopRite LPGA Classic-- Stockton Seaview Hotel and Golf Club, Galloway, NJ, Jun 1 - 3. Ayaka 76-75--151 (9-over par) M/C. Stephanie 77-71--148 (6-over par) M/C.

Ayaka... "Hello everyone,

Last week was a tough week for me. I did not putt well. The greens were really angulated and was hard to read the putt and judge the speed. I struggled a lot on the greens. I need to start playing better and make the cut......The course was in a great shape and the weather was great all week. It was a disappointing week but I had a good time out there and got to see some of my friends from the Symetra Tour.

I am playing in the Wegmans LPGA Championship this week which is my first major as a pro. I am very excited! Please follow me on my facebook page and lpga.com!"

Stephanie... See 2012 Wegman's LPG Championship posted thoughts above.

2012 Mobile Bay LPGA Classic-- RTJ Golf Trail, Magnolia Grove, The Crossings, Mobile, Alabama, Apr 26 - 29. Ayaka 75-70--145 (1-over par) M/C. Stephanie 75-77--152 (8-over par) M/C.

Ayaka... "Hi everyone~

This week was a good learning experience for me. I missed the cut by one stroke. My ball striking was awesome but the putting really held me back. I had 34 putts each day.

The greens were very angulated and fast. My speed was off and I misread the putts a lot. I have a couple of weeks to work on my putting until the next tournament so I will focus on my speed and need to somehow improve on my reading skill. I didn't play bad at all this week, I just didn't make enough putts so I am keeping my head up and staying positive :) Everybody has those weeks!!

Overall, Alabama was fun! People were super nice and the food they served at the golf course was delicious! The course was in a great shape too!"

Stephanie... "Hey everyone! Alabama was another tough week for me. But I did take a lot of positives and I am just waiting to carry them over into the next event. Not playing my best golf has really taught me to execute and assess one shot at a time, and I will strive to continue to do so during every round. But the course and the people in Alabama were great, and I had some amazing food out there, including their world famous banana pudding. It is a must try for anyone that visits Alabama! Now that I am back in LA, I will be practicing until my next event in June. Coming up soon afterwards is graduation, which I can't believe is already around the corner. I am excited for the next phase of my life as I move out of Westwood, even though I have had the greatest experience here at UCLA. Thanks again to everyone for their support and follow us in June at the ShopRite LPGA Classic!"

2012 LPGA LOTTE Championship Presented by J Golf- April 15 – 21 at Ko Olina Golf Course. Ayaka 74-72-71-79--296 (8-over par) T67 $3,696. Stephanie 79-78--157 13-over par M/C.

Ayaka... "First of all, thank you so much for the support this week. It was so nice to see my fans and friends on the course.

This tournament was really special. It meant a lot to me because it's my home and I wanted to play well for Hawaii.

I played well the first 3 days. It was very windy all week and the greens were firm too so the course was playing tough for everyone. Sometimes I over analyzed the shots and misjudged the distance, that was my miss this week. But, I was being patient and was in a good position going into the final round. I am very disappointed about my last round but I learned something from it and hopefully next week is going to be better.

I am in LA now waiting for my flight to Mobile, Alabama for the next LPGA event. This life style could be very tough but I am enjoying the challenge. I love what I do.

I won't come back to Hawaii for a while but please stay in touch and follow my journey on 808golf.com, lpga website, and on my facebook fan page!

Again, thank you so very much for the support .........I will miss you all and Hawaii."

Stephanie... "Hi everyone!

First of all, I just want to say thank you to everyone who came out to Ko Olina, sent me good luck messages, and showed their support in any way. I really felt the love and was so happy to be back at home.

Unfortunately, the week didn't go so well for me, but like I said, every tournament is a learning experience and I am just going to keep practicing and working hard to achieve my goals. Even though it has been a rough start, I am still enjoying every part of the LPGA and feel so blessed. This week we are in Mobile, Alabama (a little bit of a change from Hawaii), and the course is beautiful and the greens are in great shape. Thanks again to everyone in Hawaii for their support and see you next time!!

Stephanie"

2012 Kia Classic-- La Costa Resort & Spa, Carlsbad, CA, Mar 22 - 25. Ayaka 75-73-77-78--303 (15-over par) T71 $3,358. Stephanie 77-79--156 12-over par M/C.

Ayaka... "La Costa was fun and challenging at the same time. It was a great learning experience. I missed too many fairways and greens, the rough was so nasty out there. I struggled with the back nine all week. I really don't understand why I didn't play well that side though........oh wells, golf is a tough game! Many of my friends and Japanese fans came to watch me so it was nice to have a big galleries following my group. I like San Diego a lot :)

My next event is going be the Mid-Pac Open. I have a couple weeks until the tournament starts so I will work on my swing and strengthen my body. I can't wait to go back to Hawaii!!!"

Stephanie... "This week my game was not very sharp. After having a good ball striking week in Phoenix, I was looking forward to having that carry over into Kia but unfortunately, it didn't happen. I have two weeks off to practice hard before I go back to Hawaii to play in the Lotte tournament at Ko Olina. I am really excited to go back home to see family and friends and to play in my first LPGA event at home. Hope to see you all out there!!!"

2012 RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup-- Wildfire Golf Club at JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort and Spa, Phoenix, Arizona, Mar 15 - 18. Ayaka 75-69-75-72--291 (3-over par) T68 $3,059. Stephanie 71-76--147 3-over par M/C.

Ayaka... "I just got done with RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup today! It was a long day. We had 4 delays due to the lighting. It was hailing too. I teed off at 10:19 and finished around 6:15. I am so glad we all got done, I didn't want to come back on Monday morning. It was a crazy experience. It is always hard to play good golf when you have to deal with mother nature but I think I was patient, stayed focused, and handle the situation well. I played with Laura Davies the past 2 days. It was so cool to play with someone like Laura, she is an awesome person, I enjoyed playing with her very much! Oh Yeah I made my first LPGA check! It is nothing like 1st place check but I will always remember this one! I am heading to San Diego tomorrow. It is like 7 hours drive. Gotta love the tour life!"

Stephanie... "Arizona was a good learning experience for me, just like any other tournament I have competed in. I was definitely disappointed because I hit the ball pretty well, but made some loose mistakes that cost me. Each time I play in an event I feel more comfortable out there, and so I am trying to stay patient, keep working on certain parts of my game, and having a good time out there. This week we are in Carlsbad, CA for the Kia Classic. The fairways are tight and the rough is deep, so consistent ball striking is the key here. Hopefully my ball striking keeps up and I can make some putts out here! :)"

2012 ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open-- Royal Melbourne Golf Club, Victoria, Australia, Feb 9 - 12. Ayaka 80-80--160 14-over par and Stephanie 78-92--170 24-over par. Both players missed the cut in their 1st tournament as LPGA Tour members which was at 7-over par 153.

Ayaka... "I had a really tough week in Australia. My putting speed was way off, I missed too many greens and put myself in lots of difficult positions, overall I just didn't play smart. It was my first event of the season and I was hoping to make the cut and do well so I'm a little disappointed. The course was amazing though, it was so different from hawaii, i enjoyed it very much. The people in Australia were super nice. But I had a hard time understand what they were saying because of the accent but I'm sure they felt the same way bout my accent. Lol. AK"

Stephanie... "Hey everyone! Australia was a tough week, to say the least. It definitely was not the way I imagined starting out on the LPGA tour, but now I can look back and actually laugh at what happened. It was like a living nightmare as I kept going from bunker to bunker on every hole! The lady at the scoring table at the end of the round looked at me sympathetically as she calculated my score, and I think she and everyone else knew what happened due to all the sand in my hair and the helpless look on my face. Even worse, I had to take a midterm in my hotel room afterwards for my art history class! It was definitely a hard week. But all kidding aside, I learned a lot from Royal Melbourne and it motivated me to get stronger and better for the rest of my season. Now I am back in school at UCLA and busy with papers and midterms but I am working hard to get my ball striking and short game very sharp. Next up for me is the RR Donnelley Founder's Cup in Arizona. Follow our scores online at lpga.com and follow me on twitter at @stephaniekono! See you next time!"

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