After a two-year hiatus due the logistical challenges surrounding the pandemic, the TOTO Japan Classic returns to the LPGA calendar for 2022. First staged in 1973 as an unofficial money event, the Japan Classic became an officially sanctioned event in 1976 and was traditionally a 54-hole tournament. That changes this year, when the 2022 edition will be played for the first time as a 72-hole event with a prize purse of $2 million at longtime host club, Seta Golf Course, in Shiga, Japan.
While the Japan Classic was not part of the LPGA’s schedule the last two seasons, it was still part of the JLPGA regular season. South Korea’s Jiyai Shin won in 2020, while Japan’s Ayaka Furue, a rookie this season on the LPGA, captured the title in last year’s first 72-hole staging of the event.
The TOTO Japan Classic kicks off the final three-event stretch of the season, with Tour returning to the United States following the Japan event for the final two stops of the year: the Pelican Women’s Championship and the CME Group Tour Championship, which .
How to watch the 2022 TOTO Japan Classic
Coverage of the 2022 TOTO Japan Classic from Seta Golf Course in Shiga, Japan, can be found on Golf Channel and Peacock, with streaming options available any time on any mobile device and online through NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app.
- Wednesday, Nov. 2: 11 p.m.-2 a.m. ET; Golf Channel and Peacock
- Thursday, Nov. 3: 11 p.m.-2 a.m. ET; Golf Channel and Peacock
- Friday, Nov. 4: 11:30 p.m.-2:30 a.m. ET; Golf Channel and Peacock
- Saturday, Nov. 5: 10:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m. ET; Golf Channel and Peacock
Who’s playing in the 2022 TOTO Japan Classic
With precious time to earn Race to the CME Globe points, it’s no surprise the Japan Classic features multiple top names, many of whom already are LPGA title winners in 2022:
- Danielle Kang, Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament
- Atthaya Thitikul, JTBC Classic, Arkansas Championship
- Nasa Hataoka, LA Open
- Marina Alex, Palos Verdes Championship
- Minjee Lee, Founders Cup, U.S. Women’s Open
- Nanna Koertz Madsen, Honda LPGA Thailand
- Ayaka Furue, Women’s Scottish Open
Past champions of the Japan Classic
| YEAR | WINNER | SCORE | MARGIN | RUNNERUP |
| 2019 | Ai Suzuki (Japan) | 17-under 199 | 3 strokes | Hyo Joo Kim |
| 2018 | Nasa Hataoka (Japan) | 14-under 202 | 2 strokes | Momoko Ueda, Carlota Ciganda, Saki Nagamine |
| 2017 | Shanshan Feng (China) | 19-under 197 | 2 strokes | Ai Suzuki |
| 2016 | Shanshan Feng (China) | 13-under 203 | 1 stroke | Ha Na Jang |
| 2015 | Sun-Ju Ahn (South Korea) | 16-under 200 | Playoff | Ji-Hee Lee, Angela Stanford |
Previously at the Japan Classic
In 2019, JLPGA star Ai Suzuki breezed to the title at Seta GC, going bogey-free over the final two rounds (65-67) and finishing at 17-under 199 to win by three. It was a record season for Suzuki, winner of 17 JLPGA titles, who won seven times in 2019 -- with the Japan Classic being her first LPGA title -- and featured a stretch of three consecutive wins, of which the Japan Classic was the second.
The Japan Classic was not part of the LPGA calendar the last two seasons due to logistical challenges surrounding the pandemic, but the JLPGA sanctioned and hosted the event in 2020 and 2021. The 2020 edition was staged at Taiheiyo Club’s Minori Course in Omitama, Ibaraki, and won by Japan’s two-time LPGA major winner Jiyai Shin at 19-under 197. Shin, winner of 11 LPGA titles, bested U.S. Women’s Open champ Yuka Saso by three shots.
Last year, the tournament returned to Seta Golf Course and was played as a 72-hole event for the first time. Japan’s Ayaka Furue, a 2022 LPGA rookie, captured the title for her sixth win on the JLPGA. Furue carded four rounds in the 60s and finished at 16-under 272 to win by three shots over Mone Inami. Furue captured her first LPGA title earlier this season at the 2022 Women’s Scottish Open.
More about Seta Golf Course
Opened in 1978, Seta Golf Course was created by renowned Japanese course architect Seiichi Inoue (1908-81), who designed 38 golf courses in his lifetime. The course plays as a par 72 and stretches to 6,608 yards.