There’s just something about the Honda LPGA Thailand for the Iwai twins.

Last season, a then-rookie Akie finished runner-up to champion Angel Yin at Siam Country Club’s Pattaya Old Course after posting a four-round total of 27-under in just her second start as an LPGA Tour member.

And now, through two rounds of the 2026 edition of the event, it’s Akie’s sister Chizzy who has charged into contention, thanks in large part to a career-low performance in the second round.

Thursday saw Chizzy get off to a decent start in her second berth in the Tour’s annual Thailand event, as she carded a 3-under 69 after putting two bogeys and five birdies on her scorecard.

The Japanese native turned up the heat substantially on Friday, however, doing so despite the muggy tropical temps that have plagued the field this week at the Honda LPGA Thailand, firing a red-hot 10-under 62 to vault from T26 into the top three with 36 holes remaining in the second event of the 2026 season.

The 23-year-old notched six birdies on her front nine alone, three of which came consecutively on the par-4 sixth, par-5 seventh and par-3 eighth holes, turning in 30 at 9-under total. The back nine then saw Chizzy collect four more birdies, two of which were back-to-back on the par-5 10th and par-4 11th holes, and the last of which came on the closing par-5 18th hole, propelling her to a 36-hole total of 13-under.

The 62 is her new career-low round on the LPGA Tour, besting her previous benchmark of 64, which Chizzy has shot twice before in 2023 at the TOTO Japan Classic and in 2025 at The Standard Portland Classic.

And while some athletes would have immediately realized that they had PRed after such an incredible day on the golf course, Chizzy was shocked to hear that her 62 is her new personal best 18-hole score on the LPGA, chuckling in disbelief when it was revealed in her post-round interview.

She also admitted that there might have been a little bit of sibling rivalry that pushed her to keep the pedal to the floor coming down the stretch at Siam Country Club.

“I can't believe. But my feeling is just so really good,” said Chizzy about her 62, later continuing, “I saw so many Akie photo on the golf course, so that inspired me.”

The Honda LPGA Thailand marks the second event of Chizzy’s sophomore year on the LPGA Tour, as she and Akie both made their season and tournament debuts in the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions in Orlando, Fla. in late January.

The twins earned their spots in the field in that limited-field tournament because of the victories the pair collected in their rookie season in 2025, with Chizzy finding victory lane at the MEXICO Riviera Maya Open in May and Akie collecting The Standard Portland Classic title in August. With their respective wins, the Iwais became the first set of siblings to both triumph on the LPGA Tour in their rookie seasons and additionally joined Annika and Charlotta Sorenstam; Jessica and Nelly Korda; and Ariya and Moriya Jutanugarn as the fourth sister act to become winners on the LPGA Tour.

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That victory in Mexico was one of five top-10 results that Chizzy tallied in 2025, a season that saw her make 20 cuts in 26 starts and rack up nearly $1.8 million in official earnings, a pretty strong opening statement for any rookie to make in their first year competing alongside the world’s top talents.

As for what she’d like to accomplish in 2026, Chizzy has some goals in mind already, namely remaining injury-free and climbing into the top 10 of the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings at some point this year.

But now that she is tied for third and just a few shots off the pace of 36-hole leader Somi Lee at the Honda LPGA Thailand, a second career victory has likely already been reshuffled to the top of the hope-to-do list, a box that Chizzy just might be able to check over the weekend in Chonburi.

Chizzy Iwai Charges Into Contention After 10-Under 62 on Friday at Honda LPGA Thailand

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