Cristie Kerr held off a hard-charging field last week in Malaysia as she won the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia. Next, the LPGA Tour heads to Japan for the Toto Japan Classic, where the defending champion is Shanshan Feng. This tournament started back in 1973 and has moved all around Japan; it will be played at Taiheiyo Club for the second year in a row, and it is a 54-hole event as the LPGA Tour season is winding down.
Event: Toto Japan Classic
Category: LPGA
Date: November 3rd – 5th
Location: Taiheiyo Club, Minori Course, Omitama, Ibaraki, Japan
Kerr shot a 63 in the second round in Malaysia and then a 65 in the third round, and battled for a 71 in the final round to hold off Danielle Kang, Feng and Jacqui Concolino, who all finished a stroke behind Kerr. Brooke Henderson, Nelly Korda, Sung Hyun Park and Stacy Lewis all finished T-5.
Past Five Winners
2016: Shanshan Feng -13
2015: Ahn Sun-ju -16
2014: Mi Hyang Lee -11
2013: Teresa Lu -14
2012: Stacy Lewis -11
The Field
We’re looking at a pretty strong field this week, led by No. 1 So Yeon Ryu. She has held the top spot for 19 straight weeks, claiming two wins and 12 Top 10’s. We’ll also see the world’s No. 3 player in LExi Thompson at this even. On the season, she also has two wins along with nine Top 10’s (in 19 starts).
There will be six past champs in the field this weekend, including Shanshan Feng, who will be defending last year’s win. We’ll also see Sun-Ju Ahn, Mi Hyang Lee, Teresa Lu, Stacy Lewis, and two-time winners Momoko Ueda and Jiyai Shin. The Japanese players get amped up for this event and there are four Japanese natives who are in the World Top 50 right now (and will be playing).
Sung Hyun Park, who is the No. 2 player in the world, is taking the week off.
What To Know About The Course
The Minori Course at Taiheiyo Club opened in 2002 and it is a par-72 course that is 6,983 yards. Two of the three final holes rank 12th and 18th in terms of the most difficult holes on the course, so that could make for some fireworks coming down the stretch. However, Holes 12-15 have three of the eight most difficult holes on the course, and the two par-5 holes on the front nine are the third and fifth-most difficult holes, so you would think that those would be holes to get scores on. The field might simply be going for par, depending on the weather.
A Good Matchup To Bet: Brooke Henderson over Stacy Lewis
Henderson is a slight underdog in this matchup with Lewis at +100 to -120, and Henderson got into the top five in Malaysia thanks to a blistering final-round 64, which could have been even better. Lewis won here in 2012, although that was on a different course, and she finished T-31 here last year. Henderson didn’t play here last year, but she does have three top-10s in her last four starts, including a win in New Zealand. Lewis has a pair of top-fives in her last four starts, including her win in Portland, but Henderson gets the slightest of nods.
Top-Five Pick: Shanshan Feng
The defending champion has been rolling as of late with five top-10 finishes in her last six starts, and she might be a little unlucky not to have won any of those tournaments. Feng might be too far out to win the Race To The CME Globe or to top the money list, but she is definitely making a late-season run to boost her numbers and she returns to a golf course where she has had success in the past. She should be a factor on Sunday, especially in a shortened 54-hole tournament.
Odds To Win 2017 Toto Japan Classic
Shanshan Feng +605
Lexi Thompson +805
In Gee Chun +1015
So Yeon Ryu +1050
Stacy Lewis +1050
Brooke M Henderson +1250
Lydia Ko +1550
Jiyai Shin +2250
Sei Young Kim +2550
Charley Hull +2850
Lizette Salas +2850
Mirijee Lee +3250
Anna Nordqvist +3250
Suzann Pettersen +3250
Eun Hee Ji +3550
Nasa Hataoka +4050
Marina Alex +5050
Angel Yin +5050
Hyo Joo Kim +5050
Gerina Piller +6550
Ariya Jutanugarn +6550
Chella Choi +6550
Danielle Kang +6550
Ai Suzuki +7050
Mi Hyang Lee +7050
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