Two tours, one 78-player leaderboard
The 2026 TOTO Japan Classic, scheduled for November 5–8 at Taiheiyo Club Minori Course in Omitama, Ibaraki Prefecture, is the LPGA Tour's only official event staged in Japan. Its 78-player field combines 43 LPGA Tour members and 35 JLPGA Tour competitors. This is not a team match between the tours: everyone competes in the same individual stroke-play tournament.
The scheduled format is 72 holes across four rounds, with no cut. A low position after 36 holes will not eliminate a player from the competition. A tie for first after regulation play will be decided in a sudden-death playoff. The championship layout is listed at 6,598 yards, par 72. The purse is $2.1 million, with 500 Race to the CME Globe points available to the winner under the LPGA points system.
Why the defending champion's 2025 win matters
Nasa Hataoka returns as defending champion after a highly unusual conclusion in 2025. Heavy rain left the course unplayable for the scheduled final round, so the championship was settled after 54 holes. Hataoka and Yuna Araki were tied at 15 under par, forcing a playoff. Organisers converted the usual par-5 18th into an approximately 130-yard par-3 for the decider; Hataoka made par while Araki made bogey.
The circumstances are a reminder that a 72-hole schedule is a plan, not a claim that four rounds have already taken place. As of November 2, the 2026 event has not begun and no rounds have been completed.
A strong LPGA contingent meets Japan's leading players
The LPGA's official entry list includes Miyu Yamashita, Jeeno Thitikul, Hyo Joo Kim, Hannah Green, Aki Iwai, Chizzy Iwai and Hataoka. Yamashita arrives with immediate momentum: on November 1, she won the Maybank Championship in Malaysia with 266 strokes (22 under par). Returning to compete in front of a Japanese crowd just days later gives the week a compelling sporting storyline, although it does not guarantee another victory.
Among the confirmed JLPGA entrants are Shiho Kuwaki, Shuri Sakuma and Yuna Araki. Sakuma won the Higuchi Hisako Mitsubishi Electric Ladies on November 1, while Araki was Hataoka's playoff opponent a year ago. Those separate storylines set up intriguing comparisons between LPGA regulars and the strongest performers on the domestic tour.
An entered player and a reserve are not the same thing. Alternates may join only if positions become available; their presence on a reserve list must not be reported as a confirmed start. The official LPGA entry list is the reference for late changes.
A meaningful bridge between LPGA and JLPGA
The tournament has a defined sporting pathway rather than an open invitation list. Its 43 LPGA places were allocated using the Race to CME Globe standings after the August 30 FM Championship, while 35 JLPGA places followed the Mercedes Ranking after the October 18 Fujitsu Ladies. In a single competition, domestic Japanese professionals therefore have a direct opportunity to measure themselves against established international tour members.
The event's history underscores that connection: Hataoka previously won in 2018 and 2025, Mone Inami triumphed in 2023, and Rio Takeda took the title in 2024. That history adds stakes, not a predetermined result. The prize money and available Race to CME Globe points matter as the LPGA season approaches its closing stretch, though eligibility for points depends on tour membership rules.
What to watch when play begins
Round one is scheduled for Thursday, November 5, and the last round for Sunday, November 8. During play, the score relative to par must always be read alongside the round and holes completed. An interim lead must not be described as a tournament win. Weather, withdrawals and any changes to the schedule should be checked against the event and LPGA's official updates.
Sources: TOTO Japan Classic organisers; official LPGA entries; JLPGA tournament listing.
