Miyu Yamashita eyes back-to-back LPGA wins after hot start in Japan

Miyu Yamashita, fresh off her victory at the LPGA's Maybank Championship in Malaysia last weekend, is now tied for the lead after the first round of the Toto Japan Classic in Omitama, Japan.

She shot a 6-under 66 on Thursday.

Two other Japanese players — Aki Iwai and Sayaka Takahashi — also carded 66s.

The three share the top spot by one stroke.

Iwai is also riding momentum.

She won the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship in late September.

Three players are one shot back at 67: Minami Hiruta, Pajaree Anannarukarn and Fuka Suga.

Nine players, including defending champion Nasa Hataoka, are two off the lead after shooting 68.

The course measures 6,598 yards.

The Toto Japan Classic is the fourth and final tournament of the LPGA's late-season Asian swing.

For Yamashita, this is a chance to win back-to-back LPGA events for the first time.

She won the Maybank Championship on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026, in Kuala Lumpur.

Now she's back in her home country, playing in front of a Japanese crowd.

The field is deep.

Aki Iwai has already proven she can win this season.

Defending champion Nasa Hataoka is lurking just two shots back.

Yamashita's 66 was clean and steady.

She made six birdies and no bogeys.

The same is true for Iwai and Takahashi.

The three leaders all posted bogey-free cards.

That level of consistency will be hard to maintain over three more rounds.

But Yamashita has shown she can handle pressure.

Her win in Malaysia was a four-round grind.

She teed off on the 10th hole in the final round there and held on.

Now she's trying to do it again, on a different course, with a different set of challengers.

The Toto Japan Classic is known for producing tight leaderboards.

Last year, Hataoka won by one stroke.

This year, the margin is already razor-thin.

Yamashita, Iwai and Takahashi all have a one-shot lead over three others.

That means any mistake on Friday could drop a player several spots.

Yamashita's game appears to be peaking at the right time.

She won in Malaysia on Nov. 1.

She flew to Japan and prepared for this event.

Now she's in position to make a run at a second straight title.

The LPGA season is winding down.

This is the last event of the Asian swing.

Players will head back to the United States after this week.

But for Yamashita, the focus is entirely on the next three days.

She wants to win at home.

She wants to prove that her Maybank victory was not a fluke.

She wants to show she can win back-to-back.

The first round is just one step.

But it's the right step.

Yamashita is tied for the lead.

She has a chance.

That's all anyone can ask for after 18 holes.

The second round begins Friday.

Yamashita will tee off with Iwai and Takahashi.

The three leaders will play together.

That adds a layer of drama.

They are all Japanese.

They are all playing well.

They are all trying to win the same tournament.

Only one can come out on top.

Yamashita has the momentum.

But momentum only lasts as long as the next shot.

She has to prove she can sustain it.

The LPGA has seen plenty of players win one event and then struggle the next week.

Yamashita is trying to avoid that fate.

She is trying to join the small group of players who have won back-to-back LPGA events this season.

It's not easy.

The competition is fierce.

The course is demanding.

The pressure is real.

But after one round, Yamashita is exactly where she needs to be.

She is tied for the lead.

She is playing at home.

She is coming off a win.