Rookie Yuna Yoon, Will She Make Headlines in Japan This Time?

Competing at the Toto Japan Classic, the Final Stop of the Asian Swing
No Top-10 Finishes in 24 Tournaments This Season
Best Result of the Year: 11th Place at Last Week's Maybank Championship

Rookie Yuna Yoon is aiming for an upset in Japan.

Starting on November 6, Yoon will compete in the Toto Japan Classic, a United States Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour event held over four days at Seta Golf Course (par 72, 6,616 yards) in Shiga Prefecture, Japan, with a total prize fund of 2.1 million dollars. The Toto Japan Classic is co-hosted by the LPGA Tour and the Japan Ladies Professional Golf Association (JLPGA) Tour. A total of 78 players-43 from the top of the LPGA Tour points rankings and 35 from the top of the JLPGA Tour-will play four rounds without a cut.

Yuna Yoon challenges for victory at Toto Japan Classic. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

This tournament is the final event of the LPGA Tour's Fall Asian Swing. With the conclusion of this event, the LPGA Tour wraps up its Asian schedule, which began in early October and included stops in China, Korea, Malaysia, and Japan. The only remaining events this year are the Annika Driven and CME Group Tour Championship, both held in Florida, United States.

Yuna Yoon, who dominated the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour last year, debuted on the LPGA Tour this year but has struggled to adapt to the new stage. She has played in 24 tournaments this season but has yet to record a top-10 finish. Her signature aggressive style has not been fully on display.

Yuna Lee finished 11th at the Asian Swing Maybank Championship. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

Last week, Yoon achieved her best result of the year at the Maybank Championship in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Although she narrowly missed a top-10 finish, she impressed by placing 11th. Most notably, her stable performance over four rounds-posting scores of 69, 68, 68, and 68-was encouraging. There is growing interest in whether Yoon will capture her first LPGA Tour victory in Japan.

In addition to Yoon, other Korean players in the field include Lee Somi, Lee Ilhee, Kang Hyeji, Lee Jeongeun5, and Park Geumgang. Representing the JLPGA Tour are Shin Jiyai, Lee Minyoung, Jeon Mijeong, and Bae Sunwoo. Choi Hyejin, who finished runner-up at last week's Maybank Championship, will not participate. The last Korean winner of this tournament was Shin Jiyai in 2020.