LPGA players won’t see the tour’s latest winner at its last two events.
Mone Inami won her first LPGA title on home soil and had a chance to accept immediate tour membership. The 24-year-old had until midnight Sunday local time in Japan to make her decision. She opted to turn it down.
That means the $300,000 paycheck from the Toto Japan Classic won’t be considered official money. She also will not receive the 500 Race to the CME Globe points. Inami would’ve been in the field at the upcoming Annika driven by Gainbridge at Pelican event in Florida, which would’ve given her a strong chance to make the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship in Naples, Florida.
Had Inami accepted immediate membership, those last two events would’ve made up her rookie season.
Now Inami, a 13-time JLPGA winner who was named after famed painter Claude Monet, has until 5 p.m. ET on Nov. 13 to decide whether or not she will accept membership for the 2024 season.
Japan’s Hinako Shibuno famously turned down an LPGA membership after her 2019 AIG Women’s British Open victory and had to later go to Q-School to earn her card.
Mone Inami earned $300,000 for her first LPGA victory at the Toto Japan Classic. Whether or not that money becomes official for the JLPGA player depends on whether or not she chooses to accept LPGA membership.
Official money no longer determines LPGA status, however, as the Race to the CME Globe list took its place several years ago. Inami will also earn 500 points in the Race to the CME Globe should she accept LPGA membership by day’s end.
The 78-player, no-cut field means everyone gets paid. Switzerland’s Morgane Metraux finished last and earned $3,611.
Here’s how the rest of the field fared at the 2023 Toto Japan Classic in Ibaraki, Japan.
At the 2021 Summer Olympics, Inami beat Lydia Ko in a playoff for the silver medal on home soil.
Mone Inami became the second non-member to win on the LPGA this season, joining Rose Zhang, with her triumph at the 2023 Toto Japan Classic. Inami, 24, attended high school and university in Ibaraki, Japan, and enjoyed home support at Taihelyo Club Minori Course.
“I am very happy to get an option that I can play not only on the Japan tour but also on the U.S. tour now,” said Inami, who played on “Team Ibaraki” with six-time LPGA winner Nasa Hataoka.
“I will discuss with my team to make a final decision whether we will take this option or not.”
Inami, whose mother named her after French artist Claude Monet, has until midnight to decide if she wants to accept membership straight away so that the points and money from the win will be official for the purposes of the Race to CME Globe and LPGA money list.
Otherwise, Inami has until Nov. 13 to notify the tour of her intention to join. If she wants until then, the points and money will not be official.
Now a 13-time winner on the JLPGA, Inami came into the week No. 93 in the Rolex Rankings. Though she hadn’t previously won this season in Japan, she did have 10 top-10 finishes. At the 2021 Summer Olympics, Inami beat Lydia Ko in a playoff for the silver medal on home soil.
Inami said she has struggled physically this season and was not comfortable with her swing, changing it four times.
“I got something good feeling with my swing this week,” she said, “it worked well and I won this tournament.”
Mone Inami and Nasa Hataoka share a laugh during the final round of the 2023 Toto Japan Classic at the Taiheiyo Club’s Minori Course in Omitama, Ibaraki, Japan. (Photo: Yoshimasa Nakano/Getty Images)
Inami closed with a 69 on a windy Sunday, making birdie on her penultimate hole, to clip Seon Woo Bae and Shiho Kuwaki by one stroke with a 22-under 266 total, which sets a new 72-hole scoring record for the tournament.
This was Kuwaki’s first LPGA start and first appearance at the Toto. She has nine top-10 finishes on the JLPGA this season.
The first Japanese player to win this season, Inami is the 23rd player to win on the LPGA this season.
Former World No. 1 Jiyai Shin, who now plays full-time in Japan, took a share of fourth. Defending champion Gemma Dryburgh closed with a 65 to tie for sixth. Drybrugh jumped up from 60th on the CME points list to 50th. The top 60 and ties qualify for the season-ending championship, where the purse is $7 million and the winner’s share is $2 million.
Similarly, Jasmine Suwannapura, who tied for sixth, moved from 59th to 49th on the CME list with her performance.
“I’m very happy,” said Suwannapura of her CME movement. “You know, that’s my goal since the middle of the year. I’ve been playing better and better every week.”
With 18 holes left to play at the LPGA’s Toto Japan Classic at Taiheiyo Club Minori Course, Nasa Hataoka and Shiho Kuwaki are tied for the lead at 20 under, one ahead of Mone Inami.
After opening with a 64, Hataoka has signed for consecutive 66s while Kuwaki has gone 65-65-66.
In all, eight Japanese players sit inside the top 10 (12 players), including Hataoka, Kuwaki and Inami.
One of the big movers on Day 3 was American Rose Zhang, who fired a 7-under 65 thanks to eight birdies and one bogey. She’s tied for ninth after 54 holes, five back of the leaders.
Final-round coverage will be aired on Golf Channel on Saturday night and Sunday morning from 11 p.m.-2 a.m. ET.
Rookie @rosezhang rose up the leaderboard with 8 birdies on Saturday 👀
Here’s a closer look at how those trying to clinch a spot at the CME got started in Japan.
With only two events left before the CME Group Tour Championship, LPGA players in Japan are making a strong push to secure their spot to compete for a $7 million purse and $2 million first-place prize at the season-ender.
2022 Toto Japan Classic champion Gemma Dryburgh is among those players. The Scot is currently 60th on the CME points list. The top 60 and ties after The Annika driven by Gainbridge at Pelican advance to Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida.
JLPGA player Akie Iwai, currently No. 36 in the world, paces the field after Round 1 of the Toto with a 9-under 63. A three-time winner in Japan, Iwai tied the tournament’s 18-hole scoring record last shot by Shanshan Feng on the Minori Course in 2017.
Japan’s Nasa Hataoka, a six-time winner on the LPGA, holds a share of second at 8 under.
Here’s a closer look at how those trying to clinch a spot at the CME got started in Japan:
