A scandal involving infidelity has emerged in the Japan Ladies Professional Golf Association (JLPGA), causing significant anticipated backlash.
Japan's 'Gendai' reported on the 6th, citing a Japanese weekly magazine 'Shukan Bunshu,' that "a male caddy with a professional golfer wife is having extramarital relations with three young female professional golfers, including a player with a tour victory record." This report drew considerable attention.
On the 5th, the same magazine released photos showing a female professional golfer kissing a male caddy, and published an article titled, "The man who committed 'triple bogey' infidelity with three famous female golfers [his wife suffers from mental illness and even reported to the golf association...]."
The article came out just a day before the JLPGA season opener. The JLPGA officially kicked off its season on the 6th at the Ryukyu Golf Club in Okinawa, Japan, with the Daikin Orchid Ladies Golf Tournament. However, the atmosphere is uneasy.
According to the article, the womanizing of the problematic male caddy was already well-known among tour officials. It was also an open secret within the industry that he had been involved in extramarital relationships with several female professional players since last year.
The publication quoted a source as saying, "This caddy proudly showed private photos of female professional players he had relationships with to several people."
Additionally, it noted, "Some officials have said they have seen more explicit photos from this male caddy," suggesting that the situation was bound to come to light eventually.
In response, Kobayashi Hiromi, the JLPGA president, stated at a press conference that "the association generally does not intervene unless necessary because it is a private matter," but added, "However, after assessing the situation, we plan to conduct an investigation and consider appropriate responses if necessary."
[OSEN]