TOKYO (AP) — Ryo Ishikawa departed for the U.S. Open on Friday after apologizing to fans and sponsors for driving with an international driver’s license that wasn’t valid in Japan.
“I want to apologize to all the fans and sponsors who have supported me,” Ishikawa said at Narita Airport. “There is no excuse for this.”
The 19-year-old Ishikawa drove in Japan without knowing the international permit he received in the United States wasn’t valid in Japan because his U.S. stay was not long enough. Ishikawa was questioned by local police over the driving license incident on Thursday.
Ishikawa has an exemption for the U.S. Open, which starts on June 16 at Congressional in Bethesda, Md.
