9 Korean players tee up at Toto Japan Classic

Yamashita, youngest JLPGA winner, eyes 4th title of season

Kim Hyo-joo (left), seeking her third LPGA Tour win of the season, and Yamashita Miyu of Japan, chasing her fourth. [Getty Images]
Kim Hyo-joo (left), seeking her third LPGA Tour win of the season, and Yamashita Miyu of Japan, chasing her fourth. [Getty Images]

The LPGA Tour's fall Asian Swing wraps up in Japan, with Korean players yet to claim a title in the three tournaments played so far. Attention now turns to whether they can halt Japan's momentum at the final stop.

The Toto Japan Classic, carrying a $2.1 million purse, runs Nov. 5-8 at the Taiheiyo Club Minori Course (par 72, 6,598 yards) in Omitama, Ibaraki Prefecture.

A total of 78 players will compete — 43 from the LPGA Tour and 35 from the Japan Ladies Professional Golf Association (JLPGA) Tour. The event is a no-cut, 72-hole stroke-play competition, with the winner taking home $315,000.

Nine Korean players are in the field: seven LPGA Tour members — Kim Hyo-joo, Lee Mi-hyang, Jeon In-ji, Hwang Yu-min, Kang Min-ji, Joo Su-bin and Ko Jin-young — along with Shin Ji-ae and Lee Min-young, who compete on the JLPGA Tour.

Korean players have yet to win during this year's Asian Swing. At the Buick LPGA Shanghai, Choi Hye-jin surrendered the lead and lost to Yin Ruoning of China. At the BMW Ladies Championship, Ryu Hae-ran and Choi finished tied for second, one stroke behind Yoshida Yuri of Japan. Yamashita Miyu of Japan then won the Maybank Championship, giving Japan two victories and China one across the three events.

World No. 6 Kim Hyo-joo leads Korea's charge. Kim claimed back-to-back wins in March at the Fortinet Founders Cup and the Ford Championship to reach two victories on the season. She added runner-up finishes at the Dow Championship in June and the FM Championship in August but has not won since. This week she goes for her third win of the season and her 10th LPGA Tour title overall.

Kim also has a winning record in Japan. As an amateur in 2012, she won the JLPGA Tour's Suntory Ladies Open at 16 years and 332 days — the youngest winner in the tournament's history at the time. This marks her first appearance at the Toto Japan Classic since a tie for 17th in 2024.

Lee Mi-hyang, who won the Blue Bay LPGA in March, is chasing her second title of the season. [Getty Images]
Lee Mi-hyang, who won the Blue Bay LPGA in March, is chasing her second title of the season. [Getty Images]

Lee Mi-hyang, who won the Blue Bay LPGA in March, is also in contention for a second title this season. For Hwang Yu-min, Joo Su-bin and Kang Min-ji, securing a spot in the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship is an equally pressing concern.

Hwang sits 53rd in the CME Globe points standings and is well-positioned to qualify, but Joo (62nd) and Kang (65th) must climb into the top 60 to earn a place in the finale.

On the Japanese side, Yamashita — fresh off her Maybank Championship victory — is the clear favorite. After winning twice in her LPGA Tour debut season last year, she has added three more titles this year to bring her career total to five.

A win this week would give Yamashita four victories this season, drawing level with Nelly Korda of the United States and Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand for the most wins on tour. She also holds an advantage in the race for the Vare Trophy, awarded to the player with the lowest scoring average.

Last year's edition saw Hataoka Nasa of Japan win in a playoff against Araki Yuna, also of Japan, after the final round was canceled due to severe weather.

After the Toto Japan Classic, the LPGA Tour returns to the United States for the Annika driven by Gainbridge at Pelican and the CME Group Tour Championship before closing out the 2026 season.


yjc@heraldcorp.com