Japanese golfers start domestic tour and US amateur championship

The Japanese women's professional golf tour resumed with the 21st event of the 37‑round Meiji Cup in Hokkaido, offering a ¥90 million purse and 200 ranking points for the winner. Top domestic players including Kaede Sug, Akari Sakuma, Yuna Araki and Hana Nagai returned from the AIG Women’s Open to chase leader Shiho Kuwaki, who won the previous week’s overseas major.

At the same time, six Japanese amateurs travelled to Tennessee for the 126th U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship. Seventeen‑year‑old Anna Iwanaga opened with a five‑under‑par 67 to lead the field, while Yurina Hiroyoshi posted a 70 to sit in fourth place. The tournament winner will earn spots in the 2027 U.S. Women’s Open and several other major events, marking the first Japanese top‑finish in four years.

Both events highlight a strong showing by Japanese women golfers on home soil and abroad, underscoring the depth of emerging talent in the sport.