Winner report
Sakuma's five straight birdies win the Toto Japan Classic
Shuri Sakuma started Sunday three behind, birdied the 11th to the 15th and closed with a bogey-free 64 to win by four on −20. It is her first LPGA Tour title and makes her eligible to join the tour.
Shuri Sakuma birdied five holes in a row from the 11th at Taiheiyo Club’s Minori Course on Sunday, closed with a bogey-free 64 and won the Toto Japan Classic by four shots on −20. She began the day tied for fifth, three behind Aki Iwai, and played in the group ahead of the leaders.
Sakuma was out in 34 after birdies at the par-five 2nd and the 6th. The run from the 11th to the 15th took her clear, and she birdied the par-five 17th as well. Iwai, who led by one after 54 holes, shot 71 and finished second on −16. Erika Hara was third on −15. Nasa Hataoka, the defending champion, led after 36 holes and finished tied for sixth on −13 after a 71.
“I wasn’t really aware of it. I looked at the scorecard and saw it was five in a row,” Sakuma told ALBA Net in Japanese.
It is her first LPGA Tour title and was worth $315,000 from a $2.1 million purse. Japanese players have won the past three LPGA events: Yuri Yoshida at the BMW Ladies Championship in South Korea, Miyu Yamashita at the Maybank Championship in Kuala Lumpur and Sakuma here. Yamashita shot 74 on Sunday and tied for 28th on −8.
The Toto Japan Classic is co-sanctioned by the JLPGA, so this also counts as Sakuma’s fifth JLPGA Tour win of 2026 and her second in a row. A week earlier she won the Mitsubishi Electric Ladies in Saitama. Daily Sports reported that she had set a JLPGA record of 114 consecutive holes without a bogey. She was the JLPGA’s 2025 Player of the Year and leading money winner. Shiho Kuwaki, who leads this season’s JLPGA points list, shot 66 and tied for 12th.
The win makes Sakuma eligible to join the LPGA Tour, according to AP. Before the tournament she told Daily Sports she would probably go to the United States if she won. On Sunday she said only that she wanted to think about it first, ALBA Net reported.
Final leaderboard
| Pos | Player | Rounds | Total | To par | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shuri Sakuma (JPN) | 70-65-69-64 | 268 | −20 | $315,000 |
| 2 | Aki Iwai (JPN) | 66-69-66-71 | 272 | −16 | $191,664 |
| 3 | Erika Hara (JPN) | 70-65-68-70 | 273 | −15 | $139,039 |
| T4 | Yuna Araki (JPN) | 68-70-66-70 | 274 | −14 | $97,065 |
| T4 | Arpichaya Yubol (THA) | 72-65-65-72 | 274 | −14 | $97,065 |
| T6 | Ana Belac (SLO) | 69-65-74-67 | 275 | −13 | $54,252 |
| T6 | Chia Yen Wu (TPE) | 71-70-66-68 | 275 | −13 | $54,252 |
| T6 | Hyo Joo Kim (KOR) | 71-67-69-68 | 275 | −13 | $54,252 |
| T6 | Nasa Hataoka (JPN) | 68-64-72-71 | 275 | −13 | $54,252 |
| T6 | Youmin Hwang (KOR) | 68-67-68-72 | 275 | −13 | $54,252 |
The LPGA’s season ends with two events in Florida: The Annika at Pelican from 12 to 15 November and the CME Group Tour Championship from 19 to 22 November.
Sources
- ESPN: 2026 TOTO Japan Classic leaderboard
- AP via TSN: Shuri Sakuma picks up her first LPGA Tour title with an 8-under 64
- ALBA Net: 佐久間朱莉が米ツアー初制覇 出場権獲得も慎重な姿勢
- GDO: 佐久間朱莉が米ツアー初優勝&出場権獲得 3打差逆転で日本勢は米ツアー3週連続V
- Daily Sports: 佐久間朱莉 今季4勝目 (2 November 2026)
- LPGA: TOTO Japan Classic overview
- Golf Monthly: LPGA Tour announces 2026 schedule
- Wikipedia: Shuri Sakuma
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