Miyu Yamashita, who won the LPGA’s Maybank Championship in Malaysia last weekend, is among three players atop the leaderboard after the first round of the Toto Japan Classic.
World No.4 Yamashita and fellow Japanese players Aki Iwai and Sayaka Takahashi shot six-under-66s Taiheiyo Club Minori Course in Omitama, outside Tokyo, on Thursday for a one-stroke lead over a group of three more.
Takahashi and Yamashita enjoyed blemish-free opening rounds as Iwai, coming off a victory in late September in the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, had eight birdies and two bogeys.
Yamashita, the 2025 Women’s British Open winner, has played well at this event, finishing solo third last year at 14 under and placed joint 12th at 10 under in 2024.
Nine players, including defending champion Nasa Hataoka, were two off the lead after 68s on the 6598-yard layout.
Thailand’s Pajaree Anannarukarn plus Japanese duo Minami Hiruta and Fuka Suga shot 67s.
Hannah Green shot a two-under-par 70 to be the leading Australian in a tie for 26th, while Robyn Choi is one under and Minjee Lee five over.
Current world No.12 Green drained birdies on the third, fourth and fifth, but had three bogeys and two more birdies in her final 10 holes.
The Toto Japan Classic is the last of four tournaments in the LPGA’s so-called late-season Asian swing.
With AAP.
