2026 Toto Japan Classic preview: Miyu Yamashita goes for 3 in a row

LPGA heads to Japan this week for the final event of the Fall Asian Swing, where we head back to the United States for two season-ending events in Florida. But this is an important week for the LPGA in Japan, and we have a preview. I'm Ryan Balanchi with Golf News Net, here with a preview of the Toto Japan Classic. This is the LPGA's only event in Japan every year. Japan has a huge market for golf. For women's golf, the JLPGA is producing great players, including a number of major champions like Minami Katsu, who won the AIG Women's Open this year in a playoff. She is part of the field here this week. Playing for $2.1 million per 78-player field. A lot of the players in this field are from Japan. There's a tie-in to the JLPGA, so a number of the players who compete are from that circuit primarily. Miyu Yamashita is the star player in this field. She's going for her third win in as many starts. She won on the Ladies European Tour in South Korea before winning in Malaysia this past week, successfully defending the Maybank Championship. She's now going for three in a row. In her own country for a sixth win on the year. She's already won in Japan this year. She won the Sony JLPGA Championship. So she has already won on home soil in this calendar year. She's going to have to stare down a solid field. Nasa Hatoka, as mentioned, is the defending champion. You've got Hina Aoyama in the field. You've got Hyo Joo Kim. You've got Hannah Green. The Ai Iwai and Chizuyu Iwai, the Iwai sisters, are part of this tournament as well. And Minami Katsu, a major champion this year. A lot of really good players taking part in this tournament. Again, the final tournament of the Asian Swing. 500 Race to the CME Globe points to the winner. So if you've been struggling to some degree so far this year and you managed to get into this field, this is an opportunity to make sure you get into that top 60 in the Race to the CME Globe. That's where you want to be qualified for the season-ending tournament. CME Group Tour Championship offers the single biggest first-place prize in women's professional golf, $4 million to the winner. You just got to get into the field, and then you got to win. So getting into the top 60, very important this week. Less so for certain players. Probably trying to think about that top 100. That'll be a mission for next week. Keep your LPGA card to be able to do that through the ANA, which is an ultimate tournament on the LPGA Tour schedule. But before we do that, we've got four great days in Japan with an awesome field and a great crowd. Ready to get excited for a potential Japanese winner again on the LPGA Tour.