The TOTO Japan Classic stays in Japan. That is the only thing that has become clear after the third round of the LPGA Tour tournament being held at the Seta Golf course in Otsu. The top five players are Japanese. Six of the top seven. Eight of the top nine. If the trophy, which has been won by Japanese players in the last two occasions, goes elsewhere, it would be a major surprise. It remains to be decided, however, which Japanese golfer will be crowned. There is nothing clear there.
By persistence, the grand prize should go to Nasa Hataoka. She has been the leader for three days, sharing the privilege with three different players. On the first day, she was neck and neck with Miyu Yamashita, the second day with Jiyai Shin, and today, Saturday, she is shoulder to shoulder with Yuna Araki, the penultimate soldier of the empire. There is no one more consistent than Hataoka this week. Both Hataoka and Araki hold the top spot with a total of -15.
If the bet is on novelty, on the future, then the victory should fall to Araki. She delivered the best scorecard of the third round, a sensational 65. She is 20 years old, has been a professional for just over a year, has already won on the Japan circuit, specifically less than two months ago, and looks spectacular. She has played 33 tournaments this year and has finished in the top ten on twelve occasions. We repeat: she is 20 years old. She debuted in a professional tournament at 16 and finished in sixth place. There is something special there. She is looking for the big breakthrough, as a victory would immediately give her the American tour card, provided she accepts the membership.
On the other hand, if the winner is the most in-form player in the world at the moment, the investment would probably have to be in Miyu Yamashita (-14). She is one stroke off the lead, but she won last week in Malaysia coming from behind, from much further back. She would be the first player of the season to win three tournaments on the LPGA Tour. Today, like Hataoka, she shot 68.
A little further back are Shuri Sakuma (-12), Ai Suzuki (-11), Sayaka Takahashi (-10), and the only non-Japanese in this top six of the tournament: the Korean Jiyai Shin (-10). Shin, precisely, was the leader after the second round but stumbled in the third with a scorecard over par of 73. It would be rare for the tournament winner to come from outside these six golfers. Not only because of the lead they have but also because they have played the best all week. It is difficult to think that they will all fall in the final round.
Julia López (+4) continues her particular ordeal on the greens of the Seta Golf course. The player from Malaga signed 77 today and is very far back in the standings, in 70th place. Despite hitting 12 greens, which is not much, she needed 35 putts. She is not adapting to the Japanese greens. She still has one round left to try to sign the lowest possible score and earn points. Everything helps in her goal to finish the year among the top 60 and compete in the Final of the Race to CME Globe. After Japan, there would still be a final opportunity at the Annika in Florida.
