LPGA Tour - TOTO Japan Classic 2026: Minori Course, Favorites, and Prize Money

The 2026 LPGA Tour TOTO Japan Classic marks the 48th edition of the tournament. It will be played from November 5 to 8 over 72 holes on the Minori Course at the Taiheiyo Club in Omitama (Ibaraki Prefecture). The tournament offers a total purse of $2.1 million, with the winner receiving $315,000. Defending champion Nasa Hataoka won in 2025 with a score of 15 under Par. The LPGA describes the event as the penultimate regular tournament of the season.

Here you’ll find the tee times and live scoring for the 2026 LPGA Tour TOTO Japan Classic.

LPGA Tour TOTO Japan Classic: The Minori Course in Detail

The course is 6,033 meters long and has a Par of 72. The 18 holes consist of four par-3s, ten par-4s, and four par-5s. The longest hole is No. 9, a 491-meter par-5. The shortest is hole 13, a par-3 measuring 150 meters. Hole 17 (par-5, 430 meters) and hole 7 (par-4, 301 meters) are considered scoring-friendly. Challenging holes include the 178-meter-long par-3 on hole 3 and the long par-5s on holes 2 and 12. In 2022, Mone Inami posted the winning score of 266 strokes (22 under par) on the Minori Course. In 2025, the tournament was held at the Seta Golf Course in Otsu; therefore, comparisons with previous years’ results are limited.

Favorites at the 2026 LPGA Tour TOTO Japan Classic

Jeeno Thitikul (Thailand) is ranked second in the Rolex World Rankings. She won four times in 2026, including the Mizuho Americas Open and the LOTTE Championship. Two of those victories have come since June. She is returning to Japan for the first time since her 2022 appearance (10th place). Miyu Yamashita (Japan) is ranked fourth in the world. She won three times in 2026, including defending her title at the Maybank Championship. At the TOTO Japan Classic, she finished third in 2025, one stroke behind the players who advanced to the playoff, and fifth in 2022.

Hyo Joo Kim (South Korea) is ranked sixth in the world. She won twice early in the season and finished in the top five in two of her last three starts. She placed second in Omitama in 2019. Ayaka Furue (Japan) has finished in the top 25 in each of the last four tournaments, placing tenth in both 2024 and 2025. Jin Young Ko (South Korea) finished fifth in 2018. However, her form in 2026 has been inconsistent.

The Field for the 2026 LPGA Tour TOTO Japan Classic

The field includes ten players from the top 25 in the world rankings, five former champions, and six players with a 2026 season victory. Hannah Green has won two tournaments this year. Yuri Yoshida hopes to build on her form from the end of the season following her first LPGA victory at the BMW Ladies Championship. Erika Hara leads the Rookie of the Year race and is seeking her first top-30 finish in Omitama. Minjee Lee has been waiting for a top-10 finish on the LPGA Tour since March.

Defending champion Nasa Hataoka and the history of the LPGA Tour TOTO Japan Classic

Nasa Hataoka won in 2025 with a score of 15 under Par and earned $315,000. This makes her a two-time champion, having also won in 2018 with a score of 14 under Par. She heads into her title defense with a 2026 record of two top-10 finishes and two missed cuts. The other winners from recent years include Rio Takeda (2024, won in a playoff on the first extra hole), Ai Suzuki (2019), Mi Hyang Lee (2014), and Jiyai Shin (2008 and 2010). Hataoka finished eighth at her home tournament in 2023.

Prize Money and Sporting Significance of the LPGA Tour TOTO Japan Classic

The tournament offers a total purse of $2.1 million, with the winner receiving $315,000. On the official LPGA website, the event is listed as worth 500 points toward the Race to the CME Globe. These points determine qualification for the season finale in Naples, the CME Group Tour Championship, which offers $11 million in prize money.

Storylines and Outlook

Three questions will define the week: Can Nasa Hataoka defend her title? Will Jeeno Thitikul continue her strong form from the summer? And can Miyu Yamashita and Ayaka Furue compete at the top level in front of their home crowd? For players like Minjee Lee and Erika Hara, the tournament also offers a chance to improve their standing in the Race to the CME Globe as the season winds down.