Japan LPGA’s top player erases late three-shot deficit to claim eighth season title on sixth playoff hole

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[PHOTO: Yoshimasa Nakano]

The Toto Japan Classic, which is co-sanctioned by the LPGA and Japan LPGA, came down to a marathon six-hole playoff, with one representative from each tour vying for the title. The No.1 player on the JLPGA, Rio Takeda, birdied the 54th hole at Seta Golf Course to send the weather-shortened tournament to a playoff against two-time LPGA winner Marina Alex.

After already winning seven times on the JLPGA this season, Takeda made up three strokes over the final three holes to tie the American at 15-under-par. Here is how she overcame Alex on the sixth playoff hole with a birdie for her first LPGA title.

Leaderboard

Win: Rio Takeda (-15)
2: Marina Alex (-15)
3: Hae Ran Ryu (-14)
T-4: Saiki Fujita (-13)
T-4: Yealimi Noh (-13)

What it means

Takeda, 21, is now an eight-time winner on the JLPGA in 2024 in what is probably her last season on the circuit before joining the LPGA.

The world No.25 can either become an LPGA for the remainder of the season, defer her membership to 2025, or decide against taking up membership at all. In her post-round interview on TV, she signalled that she would head stateside in 2025. Takeda, in her post-round press conference, shared that she’s unsure of when she will join the tour.

“I was planning to take Q-School in December,” Takeda said through a translator, “And now I can skip that Q-School and go play next year on the LPGA Tour, which is exciting for me now.”

The 2021 Olympic silver medallist Mone Inami faced the same decision last season and decided to defer her membership during the CME Group Tour Championship.

Takeda’s victory continues a home-nation run at this event, as four of the past five winners of this tournament are Japanese: Nasa Hataoka (2018), Ai Suzuki (2019), Inami and Takeda. The tournament was not played in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Alex, 34, was not able to win a third career title but effectively punched her ticket to the CME Group Tour Championship and its $US11 million purse. The 11-year veteran finished T-6 in last week’s Maybank Championship to put herself 61st in the CME race and jumped to 32nd with her runner-up finish.

How it happened

The heavy rains due to Tropical Storm Kong-rey in Shiga washed out the third round, softening the course after getting hammered by 3.6 inches of rain over Friday and Saturday. The leaderboard was crowded as the final group made the turn, with 13 players within three strokes of 2021 Solheim Cup member Yealimi Noh’s 13-under lead.

Alex built the first two-stroke lead anyone had on the closing side with back-to-back birdies on holes 14 and 15, building a three-stroke lead over Takeda. But the JLPGA’s No.1 made a crucial 10-foot eagle on the par-5 16th, cutting Alex’s lead to one.

The pair both parred the 17th before heading to the 497-metre par-5 18th. Takeda ripped a 3-wood on the downhill closing hole to get to the front of the green in two. Alex, 134th on the LPGA in driving distance, couldn’t match Takeda’s distance and laid up, hitting a wedge 15 feet away to the back pin.

Takeda’s lengthy eagle rolled four feet past the cup. The American’s chance to win in regulation stayed a ball outside left of the cup, settling for par. Takeda leaned in as her four-footer off her cut-putting stroke caught the right edge for a closing birdie to catch Alex on the last.

Par-5 scoring on the back nine proved the difference for Takeda in overcoming Alex’s three-shot lead. Takeda went four-under on the closing side’s three par 5s, while the American carded even-par on the scoring holes. The playoff was held on the par-5 18th and par-5 13th, seemingly benefitting Tanaka.

Yet Alex had the first putt in the playoff to win the tournament. Both birdied the first extra hole on 18, and the world No.122 had a look to win from eight feet on the second playoff hole but missed. They went to the 426-metre par-5 13th for the third playoff hole.

Both players could look back on their first trip to the 13th as when mistakes let victory slip away. Takeda’s drive veered left and clattered off the trees, nestling into the rough. Alex hit her layup from the fairway too far into a bunker 60 metres away, only for Takeda to hit her second into the same sand trap. They left themselves 40-footers for birdie on the easiest hole of the tournament, escaping with pars to return to the 18th.

Both had wedges in hand for their third shots. Alex, 20 feet away, missed, and Takeda had her first putt to win from six feet. The chance rolled over the right lip, and Alex matched with a par to return to the 13th for a fifth playoff hole as the light dimmed with less than a half hour until sunset.

Takeda reached the shorter par 5 in two while Alex cleanly laid up. Takeda left her first putt six feet short while Alex’s downhill 10-footer escaped just left, taking her glasses off with waning light. Takeda’s second putt to win lipped out and headed to the 18th for the sixth extra hole.

They each laid up short again, with Alex ending up 12 feet short of the cup. Takeda checked up five feet left of the cup. Alex’s birdie run nestled right of the cup, with Takeda’s third putt to win falling in, ending the tournament on the 60th hole after the sun had set.

Aussie watch

Perth’s Hira Naveed was the best of the Australians, finishing in a tie for 17th after a closing 72 kept her at eight-under. Grace Kim (T-34, five-under), Minjee Lee and Gabi Ruffels (both T-64, even-par) were the other Aussies in the field.

Best of the rest

Haeran Ryu trailed by five at the start of the round and closed with a six-under 66 to earn her seventh top-5 finish in her past 10 starts. Despite only one victory this season in the FM Championship in August – and four players who have won at least three times in 2024 – the South Korean is second on the CME points list behind world No.1 Nelly Korda.