Fans are excited about the 2024 TOTO Japan Classic, and well, they’ve got a good reason to be. The event features some top JLPGA and LPGA players who will be seen battling it out for the coveted title this week. The tournament has commenced today at the Seta Golf Club and will end on November 3.

Last year, Mone Inami won the tournament with an amazing score of 22 under par, marking her first victory on the LPGA Tour. Now, this year she is back to defend the title. There are even more fierce players compared to last year, so yes, it can be a hefty task for Inami to take home the trophy this year. The field has players like Ayaka Furue (Japan), Haeran Ryu (South Korea), Jin Young Ko (South Korea), Brooke M. Henderson (Canada), and Mao Saigo (Japan), all hungry for the win.

The TOTO Japan Classic features a format similar to that of Olympic golf, where a limited field of 78 players competes without a cut, per Golf Monthly. The players are divided into two categories: 42 from the LPGA and 36 from the Japanese Tour, and this format allows all participants to play all 4 rounds, helping them shine through even when it looks like it’s over for them. And you bet the players are ready to give it their sweat and blood for the prize money, which is $2 million with $300,000 set aside for the winner.

And how can we forget about the stroke play format? Events like the TOTO Japan Classic always keep us on the edge of our seats with their rather thrilling conclusions. And when there’s a tie after 72 holes, things get intense because that’s when the sudden-death playoff kicks in and players go head-to-head until one emerges victorious.

Everyone knows that Inami will do what it takes to have the trophy all to herself, but is there any player ready to give her the same cutthroat competition? Yes, there surely is!

Players for the lookout at the 2024 TOTO Japan Classic

A star-studded stage features some of the best players at the TOTO Japan Classic, but two golfers to keep a close eye on this week are Ayaka Furue and Mao Saigo. Furue, who is a major champion and one of Japan’s top talents, is ready to show what she has got after a heartbreaking loss at the 2023 edition of the event, where she finished T23 with a score of 15 under par. The golfer has been having an amazing run this year with nine top 10s and a third-place spot on the Official Money List.

Meanwhile, rookie sensation Saigo looks to extend her lead in the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year race, as she has already secured seven top-10s by 112 points. She can use her exceptional skills again to win the 150 points that await the winner. With key players like Lexi Thompson absent from the field, both Furue and Saigo have great opportunities to take home the trophy.

Who do you think will win the event this year? Let us know in the comment section below!