Nasa Hataoka and Yuna Araki share the 54-hole lead at the LPGA’s 2025 Toto Japan Classic.
Both players are competing in their native Japan and will enter the final round at 15 under. Araki rode the momentum of five straight birdies on Nos. 2-6 to sign for a 7-under 65 in Saturday’s third round.
“Overall I had a good round, but especially from the second hole I had a good shot and it kind of began a good flow,” Araki said. “I’m happy with today’s round.”
Hataoka, meanwhile, turned in a 5-under 67 to maintain a share of the lead headed into Sunday. The 26-year-old pro is looking to capture her seventh LPGA victory and hoist the trophy at the Toto Japan Classic for a second time. She won this event by two shots over Carlota Ciganda in 2018.
Araki and Hataoka will be playing in the final group Sunday with young Japanese superstar Miyu Yamashita, who sits in solo third, one shot off the lead at 14 under. The 24-year-old rookie stormed into the winner’s circle in July at the AIG Women’s Open — one of five women’s major championships — and then just last week emerged victorious at the Maybank Championship in Malaysia.
A win Sunday would be her second in as many starts and it would come in front of a home crowd. but that would be the case for just about every player near the top of the leaderboard after Saturday’s third round, with Shuri Sakuma (4th, 12 under) and Ai Suzuki (5th, 11 under) rounding out the top five.
AloJapan.com