2026 TOTO Japan Classic news, field updates, highlights, and leaderboard movement from Taiheiyo Club Minori Course.
Omitama, Ibaraki, Japan — Taiheiyo Club Minori Course
Explore TOTO Japan Classic history, past champions, the LPGA-JLPGA partnership, venue rotations, and the event's long-running place on the fall Asia swing.
View HistoryFollow the 2026 preview, field developments, tournament-week storylines, and highlights as the LPGA Tour and JLPGA meet in Japan.
Event PreviewReview Taiheiyo Club Minori Course, including its parkland setting, tree-framed corridors, strategic bunkering, approach-shot demands, and autumn conditions.
Minori Course GuideDates: November 5-8, 2026
Location: Omitama, Ibaraki, Japan
Venue: Taiheiyo Club Minori Course
Format: 72-hole limited-field, no-cut stroke play
Purse: $2.1 million
Tours: LPGA Tour / JLPGA
Defending Champion: Nasa Hataoka
2025 Winning Score: 15-under, playoff
The TOTO Japan Classic returns to Taiheiyo Club Minori Course in 2026. The co-sanctioned event combines leading LPGA Tour players with top JLPGA competitors in a four-round no-cut championship.
Defending champion Nasa Hataoka surged to the top of the 2026 TOTO Japan Classic with an 8-under 64, reaching 12-under 132 through 36 holes at Taiheiyo Club Minori Course. Her closing eagle at the par-5 17th helped produce a back-nine 30 and a one-shot lead over Miyu Yamashita heading into the weekend in Omitama, Ibaraki, Japan.
CaddyBytes 🏆 Round 2 Recap: Hataoka began Friday two shots behind the opening lead after a 68, then steadily climbed the board before taking control late. Precise iron play created repeated chances, and her eagle at 17 completed a powerful closing stretch that moved the defending champion into the outright lead at 12 under.
Miyu Yamashita stayed directly on Hataoka's heels with a 5-under 67. The recent Maybank Championship winner made three consecutive birdies at Nos. 11, 12 and 13, added another at the par-3 16th and briefly shared the lead. Her only bogey came at the closing hole, ending a 35-hole bogey-free run and leaving her alone in second at 11-under 133.
Ana Belac posted a 7-under 65 to jump into a tie for third with Fuka Suga, who added a second-round 67. Both sit at 10 under, only two shots behind Hataoka with 36 holes remaining in the no-cut championship.
The leaderboard remains tightly packed behind them. Erika Hara and Shuri Sakuma each shot 65, Youmin Hwang and Yui Kawamoto signed for 67s, and Aki Iwai and Sayaka Takahashi followed opening 66s with rounds of 69. All six share fifth at 9 under, placing nine challengers within three shots of the lead.
Round 2 complete: Nasa Hataoka leads by one after the low round of the day, with all 10 players shown below separated by only three shots.
| Position | Player | Score | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | Total | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nasa Hataoka | -12 | 68 | 64 | — | — | 132 | Leader |
| 2 | Miyu Yamashita | -11 | 66 | 67 | — | — | 133 | 1 back |
| T3 | Ana Belac | -10 | 69 | 65 | — | — | 134 | 2 back |
| T3 | Fuka Suga | -10 | 67 | 67 | — | — | 134 | 2 back |
| T5 | Erika Hara | -9 | 70 | 65 | — | — | 135 | 3 back |
| T5 | Youmin Hwang | -9 | 68 | 67 | — | — | 135 | 3 back |
| T5 | Aki Iwai | -9 | 66 | 69 | — | — | 135 | 3 back |
| T5 | Yui Kawamoto | -9 | 68 | 67 | — | — | 135 | 3 back |
| T5 | Shuri Sakuma | -9 | 70 | 65 | — | — | 135 | 3 back |
| T5 | Sayaka Takahashi | -9 | 66 | 69 | — | — | 135 | 3 back |
Leaderboard note: The TOTO Japan Classic uses a no-cut format, so the entire field advances into the weekend. The leading group enters Round 3 with very little separation and plenty of scoring opportunities still available.
Round 3 watch: Hataoka will try to build on the momentum of her closing eagle, while Yamashita, Belac and Suga begin Saturday within two shots. The six-player tie at 9 under gives the championship a deep group of immediate challengers.
Round 2 highlights: Minori Course rewarded controlled approaches and confident putting throughout Friday. Hataoka attacked the closing stretch, Yamashita repeatedly took aim through the middle of her round, Hara displayed touch around the greens, and Sakuma used a strong finish to climb into the crowded group at 9 under.
Round 2 takeaway: The defending champion owns the lead, but she has no room to relax. Yamashita's current form and the depth of the LPGA and JLPGA contenders directly behind her set up a tightly contested final 36 holes in Japan.
2026 TOTO Japan Classic Round 2 highlights from Taiheiyo Club Minori Course.