2023 Toto Japan Classic: Power Rankings, Defending Champion, Prize Money, and Major Details

The next event in the golfing world, the 2023 Toto Japan Classic, is all set to kick off at the Taiheiyo Club Minori Course in Ibaraki. The anticipated tournament is co-sanctioned by the LPGA of Japan Tour along with the LPGA Tour.

Moreover, the contest which is planned to start on the 2nd of November and span four days is a much-expected tournament in its own right. A total of 78 players are set to take the field in the contest, which boasts a prize purse of $2 million. It is natural that the community is curious as to the details of this LPGA event. Let’s take a look at the same.

Top picks for the 2023 Toto Japan Classic

The community finds itself on the edge of its seat as the dates for the tournament draw near. A lot of talented golfers will be spotted on the course, including the defending champion Gemma Dryburgh. Moreover, a lot of top players in the Rolex Rankings will join her in duking it out on the greens. Let’s check out some of the competitors aiming for the title of the tournament.

1. Gemma Dryburgh – Currently placed at No. 64 in the world rankings, the Scottish player was able to emerge victorious in the previous year’s tournament. Moreover, with a total of three top-15 finishes this year, including a T6 at the Maybank Championship LPGA, she will be looking forward to defending her title.

2. Hyo Joo Kim – The South Korean athlete is placed 7th in the Rolex rankings and is the topmost-ranked golfer in the field. Kim boasts a total of 14 victories on the LPGA of Korea Tour. However, with a single win coming off this year at the Ascendant LPGA Benefiting Volunteers of America, the 1X major winner would be looking for her second victory on tour this week.

3. Lydia Ko – The New Zealand golfer, ranked at No. 9 is known for her consistency in the game. Although she has just a single win in 2023 coming off the Aramco Saudi Ladies International, the 19X LPGA Tour champ has two majors under her name – the 2015 Evian Championship and the 2016 Chevron Championship. Such an accolade-rich career has indubitably pushed her to become a fan favorite to win the event.

4. Xiyu Lin – The Chinese golfer is currently ranked at No. 11 on the world rankings. Lin has a total of three LET victories, including a win at the Aramco Team Series at Hong Kong this year. Moreover, she boasts a total of 7 wins on the Chinese circuit. With the golfer aiming for her first LPGA title, the 27-year-old would undoubtedly be a strong contestant for the title.

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5. Jiyai Shin – The former No. 1 golfer is currently placed at the 15th spot on the Rolex rankings. The 6X LET champ’s latest win came off the Earth Mondahmin Cup in the LPGA of Japan Tour. Moreover, finishing a total of three times in the top 5 positions in the LPGA Tour this year, the golfer would look to increase her record this week.

Well, after such a detailed look at the top contenders, curiosity naturally arises about the course that the golfers are set to duke it out on.

The Taiheiyo Club Minori Course: A test for the players  

The course boasts a beautiful setting in the “characteristically level topography of the Kanto Plain.” Consisting of bent greens situated amidst groves that are traditional Japanese, each hole on the course demands a challenging performance from the golfers.

Opened in 2002, the layout was designed by Shunji Kurakami and further renovated by Norio Honma. Boasting an area of 800,000 sq. m., each of the holes in the course is said to be as beautiful and lovely as a painting.

Well, who do you think would take home the trophy from this wonderful course this time around? Share your thoughts below.

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