Major champion Shiho Kuwaki moved into the top 10 in the world for the first time on the eve of the Toto Japan Classic. The reigning AIG Women's British Open champion has won twice on the JLPGA since her playoff triumph at Royal Lytham, including a JLPGA major. She returns to the LPGA this week at Taiheiyo Club Minori Course for the 72-hole, no-cut event.
The Toto, the last of four events on the LPGA's fall Asia swing, is co-sanctioned with the JLPGA. Kuwaki deferred LPGA membership until 2027.
The snazzy Kuwaki, with the long eyelashes, Loudmouth clothes and distinctive yellow ball, defeated Esther Henseleit in overtime last August in Lytham St. Annes, England. She then returned to the JLPGA, where she posted six top-3 finishes in her next 10
starts.
World No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul, a four-time winner this season, headlines the field alongside Miyu Yamashita, who won for a third time on the LPGA in 2026 with her victory last week at the Maybank Championship. Yamashita currently ranks fourth in the world and leads the LPGA's Vare Trophy race for low scoring, with both Nelly Korda and Haeran Ryu ineligible.
There are five past champions in the field this week: Nasa Hataoka (2025, 2018), Rio Takeda (2024), Ai Suzuki (2019), Mi Hyang Lee (2014) and Jiyai Shin (2010, 2008).
Four Japanese players have won a total of six events on the LPGA in 2026, with three being first-time winners: Yuri Yoshida, Yuna Nishimura and Kuwaki. Last year, five different players from Japan won on the LPGA. Perhaps most impressively, five different Japanese players have won majors over the past three seasons.
When asked why so many Japanese players are having so much success in recent years on the LPGA, Yamashita said, "I think most of Japanese courses are very demanding, especially with narrow fairway, so you will be required to have a good ball-striking. That's why I think Japanese player perform really well in the U.S."
Thitikul agreed on the difficulty of setups in Japan, adding that Japanese players have "the best" short games too.
"The short game is just amazing, and then I think that's why they can survive on the tour," said Thitikul. "Either it's going to be a long course or either it's going to be a short course, that they can be able to adapt on every course that they play."
Beth Ann Nichols is a Golfweek senior writer covering the LPGA and women's golf.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Jeeno Thitikul, Miyu Yamashita headline field at LPGA Toto Japan Classic
