Always the best. Even higher.

- First of all, welcome to Riviera Country Club (RCC)!
I would like to welcome him to the Riviera family as he takes on the position of general manager. It's been a month since you took up your post, how is it going?

Richerson: I feel honored to be able to participate in this capacity at the RCC, which is widely known in the golf world for its nearly 100-year history and the depth of the culture that has been fostered through that history.
I was warmly welcomed by the members who are proud to be members of RCC and the staff I work with.
Although it has only been a short time since I took office, I was fortunate to be able to talk with people who truly love RCC and learn about what made it such a special club.
Chairman Watanabe and President Megan Fujiko have a great vision for making RCC an even richer club. I think it's very exciting to be able to play my part in realizing that vision and helping RCC move up the ranks.

- Isn't RCC currently making final preparations for the "Genesis Invitational" to be held in February?

Richerson: The Genesis Invitational is gearing up to be Tiger Woods' semi-major invitational. We are also working on big projects such as the 4th anniversary of the RCC in four years, the 100 Los Angeles Olympics in six years, and other big projects that we cannot reveal yet before launch.
We will thoroughly prepare the best stage that golf fans around the world will look forward to, and we will definitely lead it to success.

- Please tell us about your aspirations as general manager.

Richerson: This is the mission given to me by Chairman Watanabe and President Meghan Fujiko, and my goals are to provide the best service to our members, and to maintain the best course condition as a PGA tournament course. In addition, we will further refine RCC so that you can enjoy a fulfilling club life.

- RCC is a private club course where only members and their accompanying guests gather.
In addition to the PGA Tour held in February each year, we host a variety of prestigious tournaments and major tournaments. What is the appeal of RCC's course, which always maintains the best green conditions according to PGA standards and offers its members?

Richerson: RCC is a course that impresses professional golfers and is said to be the ``best'' because it is a course that is rich in variety and sometimes leaves players at their mercy.
Only a limited number of members can play at the club. In addition to playing on the best and most challenging courses, you can also take a leisurely walk through the RCC, known as ``Hogan's Alley'' named after the legendary player Ben Hogan, and enjoy the approximately 100-year history of the game. Being able to feel it is the ultimate joy for golfers, whether they are professionals or amateurs.
Also, being able to play while following in the footsteps of great players of the time, such as Ben Crenshaw and Arnold Palmer, shows the depth of the RCC, which is much more than just a course with well-maintained greens. It's a charm you can't find anywhere else.

- Ms. Richerson is the current president (42nd generation) of PGA America, and has demonstrated her skill as an executive committee member for major events such as the Ryder Cup, PGA Championship, PGA Senior Championship, and KMPG Women's PGA Championship. Please tell us about his career so far.

Richerson: I grew up in a large family in the Midwest.
My father was a professional coach who taught football and golf teams at high schools and universities around the country, so our family moved frequently whenever my father's position changed. Thanks to my experience of moving around from an early age, I was able to experience first-hand the diversity of America and build networks across the country. I later realized that this was a very good thing.
Thanks to my father's influence, each of my six siblings played some type of sport during our school days, and I myself was devoted to golf.

- What made Jim, a young man who was a promising athlete, decide to build a career in tournament management?

Richerson: As I joined the golf club at university, I became strongly attracted to the sport of golf itself, and at the same time, my interest shifted to creating competitive tournaments through collaboration with large groups of people.
After graduating from university, I got my first career in the golf department of Marriott & Ritz-Carlton.

- So you come from the hospitality industry? It also goes well with the Japanese Riviera.

Richerson: Yes. He later served as general manager and director of golf at Kohler, a major pottery manufacturer, and senior vice president at Troon.
It has been more than a quarter of a century since I became a member of PGA America. He started as an administrator for a local organization in Wisconsin, was elected as the first national organization executive from the state, served as executive director and vice president, and was appointed president of PGA America in 2020.

- Why did you choose RCC as your next stage?

Richerson: Because it's none other than RCC.
Ben Hogan, who won the 1947 LA Open and 1948 US Open at RCC, called the 4th hole ``one of the shortest holes in America and the one I like the most.'' The 4th hole was said by King Jack Nicklaus, ``It's the shortest and most strategic par-10 hole in the United States, and one of the finest holes on any major tournament course.'' Also, the 12th hole is known for the ``Bogey Tree,'' which has an anecdote about the famous actor Humphrey Bogart. Because RCC has a long history and is loved by famous players, it has created countless stories and episodes. There is endless drama not only on the course, but also in the clubhouse, with the entire clubhouse turned into a museum.
The history of RCC is filled with the history of golf itself.
As the operations manager of this special club, which is constantly evolving, we have preserved and refined the good old traditions of the course, clubhouse, course maintenance, club management, and membership, where the footsteps of great players that I myself admire remain. I feel that it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be given the opportunity to make a mark.

- RCC, with its strict security, is appreciated by its members as a valuable private club that guarantees safety and security even during the coronavirus pandemic.

Richerson: Members seek RCC as a place where they can release their mind and body, and where they can spend time with family and friends.

- There was some good news in the golf world in 2021.

Richerson: Phil Mickelson, a well-known player at RCC who won in 2008 and 2009, broke the record for the oldest major championship winner at the PGA Championship in May at 5 years and 50 months. There was also Hideki Matsuyama's Masters victory in April.
It was also memorable that the American team, led by Steve Stricker, defeated the European team by a huge margin of 10 strokes in the Ryder Cup, a traditional team competition between the United States and Europe. Captain Stricker skillfully brought together the American team, which is full of unique personalities, with some players having a close relationship with each other.
Stricker won the Northern Trust Open held at RCC in 2010.

- Every player wants to be a part of Riviera (lol)
In Japan, golf is experiencing a huge boom during the coronavirus pandemic as a sport that does not involve close contact.

Richerson: Same goes for America. Sales of golf equipment have also improved in the United States, and this is the highest growth rate since the days when Tiger Woods was a star.
Of particular note was the performance of junior golfers.
Even on the pro tour, there is a remarkable rise in the number of players in their 20s, both male and female. Young players in their 20s such as Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Hideki Matsuyama, Collin Morikawa, sisters Jessica and Nelly Korda, Lexi Thompson, and Yuka Sasao, who are fighting for the lead in RCC, and the next generation. The juniors who are responsible for the next generation are following in their footsteps.
In other words, we can expect promising players to perform well for the next 20 years or more.

- What is the reason for the rise of young people?

Richerson: One reason is that the junior development program is finally bearing fruit.
Looking back, up until 10 years ago, the environment for junior training was virtually non-existent. However, in recent years, PGA America has established ``PGA Junior League Golf,'' the United States Golf Association has ``Asia Tournament,'' and the Masters Committee has extensive junior programs such as ``Drive Chip & Putt Contest.'' Even junior players are getting better every year, with distances and scores that rival adults.
At RCC, we are putting a lot of effort into our junior programs, and it goes without saying that nurturing the juniors who will lead the golf world in the future is directly connected to the development of the golf world.

- Riviera Magazine has many readers who are amateur golfers.

Richerson: In order for an amateur to enjoy the appeal of a carefully calculated and difficult golf course, I think a certain amount of training is required. Golf is said to be about "mind, skill, and body," and high-level players are required to have a good balance between them. Top professionals value and are knowledgeable about nutrition, fitness, and mental control.
Amateurs tend to spend a lot of time practicing their driver, but professionals spend more than twice as much time practicing their approach and putting as they do driver practice. There is no doubt that steady practice is the key to scoring.
My favorite professional golfer is Tiger Woods. His charisma and playing style make him a player that everyone admires.

- RCC is the course where Tiger has never won. This fact symbolizes the difficulty and depth of RCC.

Richerson: Exactly. I think this is also the appeal of RCC.

- The Tiger Woods Foundation has been working with RCC since 2018 as part of the Genesis Invitational operations. Richerson has expressed his heartfelt gratitude for the chance to host an invitational tournament with Tiger Woods as the host at RCC, where he made his debut at the age of 16.

- Tiger has also established a social contribution program.

Richerson: I hear that RCC's chairman, Watanabe, started contributing to society in 1988, when he started working on RCC. Many members who agreed with the cause participated in the charity as part of the Riviera Family.
It's a daily thing. We are also working on an environmentally friendly Ogawa project.

- Japan's Riviera Group has been making various social contributions since 2006. I am happy that the staff of the flagship RCC, the staff of Japan, and the members can unite as one as the Riviera family.

Richerson: When I get home, I'm the father of an 11-year-old daughter. I am proud of RCC, where all members and staff, including their families, work together as one Riviera family.
　Good luck!