[Photo: Lintao Zhang] After three rounds, Nasa Hataoka and Yuna Araki shared the lead at the LPGA’s Toto Japan Classic, a position Hataoka is familiar with. She led this tournament after 54 holes in both 2023 and 2018, and converted the win in 2018. RELATED: Aaron Rai rallies to defeat Tommy Fleetwood, winning the Abu Dhabi Read more…
Nearly a week after six-time LPGA winner Nasa Hataoka was disqualified from the ShopRite LPGA Classic after she signed an incorrect scorecard because she was deemed to have taken too long to search for her ball, the Japanese star posted on social media a long and critical response.
Nasa Hataoka was disqualified from the ShopRite LPGA Classic for taking too much time to find her ball on her last hole of the first round and signing an incorrect scorecard.
Nasa Hataoka holds the inside track to win the major, holding a one-stroke lead at seven-under par over Allisen Corpuz. Here are five storylines to follow during the final round at Pebble Beach.
Throughout the week, Hataoka used a ball marker from Olympic Club, where she lost in a playoff at the US Women’s Open in June, to serve as extra motivation as she continued to build on her lead.
Unfortunately for the rest of the field, after points leader Ariya Jutanugarn’s pre-tournament press conference, it sounds like she is prepared for the season’s final moment.
It was a tournament that Japan’s Nasa Hataoka wanted to win more than others, but to do so required a timely assist, and Australia’s Minjee Lee provided her one.