A player on the JLPGA (Ladies Professional Golfer’s Association of Japan) Tour named Mone Inami won the TOTO Japan Classic on Sunday by a single shot.
She shot a 69 in the last round to win the title. The player who isn’t a member of the LPGA will now have to make a tough choice.
With this win, Inami can now join the LPGA Tour right away.
The 24-year-old will win the $300,000 prize and get 500 points toward this year’s Race to the CME Globe if she decides to join the LPGA. The year 2023 will also be her first year on the LPGA Tour.
She would win, but she wouldn’t get any Rookie of the Year points for it.
On the other hand, she can turn down the membership for this year and join the LPGA as a beginner next year. For the Race to CME Globe Points or the LPGA Official Money List, neither the points nor the money from this event will count. She will still get the money for winning there.
Inami has until November 5 at midnight to decide what to do.
Before Inami, the last person who wasn’t an LPGA member to win a tournament was Rose Zhang. This year, Zhang made history by winning her first LPGA event at the Mizuho Americas Open.
On Sunday, Inami shot three under par with four birdies and a mistake on the par-4 15th. It was enough to beat Seon Woo Bae and Shiho Kuwaki, who tied for first place with 21 under. Jiyai Shin and Xiyu Lin tied for fifth place with a score of 20-under.
Inami has won 13 times in the JLPGA, but this is her first win of the season and seventh top-10 victory.
“It doesn’t make a big difference to me whether Japan wins or the USA wins,” Inami said. “I have the chance to see a new world.” I can feel that kind of sense.”
Following her victory, Inami didn’t say much about whether she would join the LPGA.
This gives me the chance to play on both the Japan Tour and the US Tour, which makes me very happy. Before I decide for sure if we will go with this choice or not, I will talk it over with my team.
This season, 13 people have won for the first time, and Inami would be the 13th.
At the same time, the above-mentioned Zhang once again impressed.
On Sunday, Zhang shot a 70 in the last round to tie for 15th place. He had three rounds in the 60s before that. In a group full of young Japanese players from her home country, she was the only American to finish in the top three.
If Inami decides not to join, she might have a great starting season in 2024, like the superstar Zhang did.
