Miyu Yamashita closed with back-to-back birdies to card a bogey-free 6-under 66 on Thursday and join a three-way tie for the first-round lead at the TOTO Japan Classic, with 54 holes remaining at Taiheiyo Club Minori Course in Omitama, Ibaraki, Japan.

The 25-year-old from Japan shares the top spot with countrywomen Aki Iwai and Sayaka Takahashi. Minami Hiruta, Pajaree Anannarukarn and Fuka Suga are one stroke back at T4 after rounds of 5-under 67.

Yamashita arrived in Japan in top form. She defended her title at the Maybank Championship in Malaysia last week, finishing at 22-under for her third win of 2026 and fifth career LPGA Tour victory.

Starting on No. 1, Yamashita birdied the par-5 second and the par-4 fifth. She added a birdie at the par-3 eighth to make the turn in 3-under 33.

The back nine required more patience. A birdie at the par-5 12th moved her to 4-under before she parred four straight holes from No. 13 through No. 16. Yamashita then birdied the par-5 17th and the par-4 18th to sign for an inward 33 and climb into a share of the lead.

Yamashita has played well at this event. She finished solo third last year at 14-under 202 and placed T12 at 10-under in 2024.

The 2025 Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year has been one of the Tour's most consistent players in her second season. Thursday's round came in her 22nd start of 2026. She has won three times this year—at the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give in June, the CPKC Women's Open in August and the Maybank Championship last week—and has 13 top-10 finishes. Those include solo third-place finishes at the Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G in May and the LOTTE Championship presented by Hoakalei in October, along with a T4 at The Amundi Evian Championship in July.

Her five career LPGA Tour wins also include the 2025 AIG Women's Open, her lone major title, and the 2025 Maybank Championship. Yamashita earned her LPGA Tour membership as medalist at the Final Qualifying stage of LPGA Q-Series in 2024 after winning 13 times on the JLPGA Tour, where she was Player of the Year in 2022 and 2023.

Yamashita entered the week second in the Race to the CME Globe standings. She will look to build on her strong finish in Friday's second round as she chases her fourth victory of the season after a hot week in Malaysia.

Miyu Yamashita Catches Up to First-Round Lead After First Round in Japan

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