Hataoka Wins Toto Japan Classic in Rain-Shortened Playoff

Nasa Hataoka captured her seventh LPGA Tour title Sunday by winning a one-hole playoff at the rain-shortened Toto Japan Classic in Otsu, Japan, ending a 3 1/2-year victory drought on home soil.

Heavy rain throughout the day rendered the Seta Golf Club unplayable, forcing officials to cancel the final round and declare the tournament complete after 54 holes. Hataoka and fellow Japanese player Yuna Araki entered the playoff tied at 15-under-par 201. On the par-3 18th hole, Araki bogeyed while Hataoka parred to secure the victory and a $315,000 winner's check from the $3.2 million purse.

Hataoka, who shared the lead after each of the first three rounds with different competitors, posted a first-round 65 featuring nine birdies, followed by 68s in the second and third rounds with six and five birdies, respectively. The 25-year-old from Japan had endured a winless stretch since the 2021 ShopRite LPGA Classic, but she entered the week with momentum from seven top-10 finishes in the 2025 season, including a runner-up at the BMW Ladies Championship and a tie for third at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship.

In a post-victory press conference, Hataoka described the outcome as unique. "It...