Miyu Yamashita leads in Japan, chasing her sixth global win in 2026

OMITAMA, Japan — Miyu Yamashita, who won the LPGA’s Maybank Championship in Malaysia over the weekend, was among three players atop the leaderboard after Thursday’s first round of the Toto Japan Classic.

Yamashita and fellow Japanese players Aki Iwai and Sayaka Takahashi each shot 6-under-par 66s for a one-stroke lead over a group of three more players just off the pace.

The Toto Japan Classic is the last of four tournaments in the LPGA’s so-called late-season Asian swing.

The event is being played at the Taiheiyo Club, a 6,598-yard layout in Omitama, Japan.

Nasa Hataoka enters as the defending champion.

Jeeno Thitikul is the favorite to win for a fifth time this year, according to pre-tournament odds.

But the story of the first round belongs to Yamashita, who is coming off a win at the Maybank Championship in Malaysia just days ago.

A victory here would give Yamashita her fourth LPGA win of 2026.

It would also be her sixth win worldwide in the calendar year, counting titles on the LPGA and other professional tours.

Iwai, one of the co-leaders, is also in strong form.

She is coming off a T-2 finish in late September at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship.

Minami Hiruta, Pajaree Anannarukarn and Fuka Suga each shot 67 on Thursday.

Nine players, including defending champion Hataoka, were two off the lead after shooting 68s.

The leaderboard is tight, with 12 players within two strokes of the lead after the opening round.

Yamashita’s recent form has been a major talking point among LPGA observers.

She won the Maybank Championship in Malaysia last weekend, beating a strong international field.

That win was her third LPGA title of 2026.

Now she is in position to make it four in the same season.

A fourth LPGA win would put her in rare company for the 2026 season.

Only a handful of players have won four or more times in a single LPGA season in recent years.

The Toto Japan Classic field is deep, with multiple former winners and major champions in the mix.

Thitikul entered the week as the betting favorite, having already won four times in 2026.

If Yamashita can hold off Thitikul and the rest of the field over the next three rounds, she would not only win back-to-back events but also tie Thitikul for the most LPGA wins this season.

The Asian swing has been a grueling stretch of travel for LPGA players.

It began with the Buick LPGA Shanghai in China, followed by the BMW Ladies Championship in South Korea, then the Maybank Championship in Malaysia, and now the Toto Japan Classic.

Yamashita has managed to win at the end of that travel gauntlet.

Now she is trying to win again at the very end of it.

The first-round 66 was a clean round with few mistakes.

Yamashita’s game has been sharp across all facets, which is why she has been able to win twice in the last three weeks.

Her putting has been particularly strong, according to post-round reports.

She also drove the ball well on a course that requires precision off the tee.

The Taiheiyo Club layout features tree-lined fairways and small greens that reward accuracy over power.

Yamashita’s ability to hit fairways and give herself birdie chances has been a key factor in her recent success.

If she can maintain that level of play, she will be difficult to catch over the weekend.

But the field is deep, and the leaderboard is crowded.

Iwai is playing with confidence after her T-2 finish in Arkansas.

Takahashi is a seasoned veteran who knows the course well.

Hataoka, the defending champion, is only two shots back and has a history of playing well in this event.

Thitikul, despite being off the lead after the first round, cannot be counted out.