Every LPGA Tour brief The Playbook has printed, newest first — 24 editions so far. Plus the 2 Ledger calls this paper put in print on them, graded. The Archive runs two days behind the paper.
LPGAPlay CompleteLeader: Hye-Jin Choi (-9)The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican
Shuri Sakuma won the TOTO Japan Classic on 8 November at 20 under, the LPGA's most recent completed event. The LPGA Tour has moved on to The Annika, which is still being played this week, and Nelly Korda is back in action after a long break. ESPN reported that Korda opened with a bogey-free 7-under 65 on Thursday at The Annika. One round is a start and not a result, and The Annika has three rounds left. Readers following Korda will have the rest of the week to judge whether her return is more than one good Thursday. The CME Group Tour Championship, the season's finale, follows from Thursday 19 to Sunday 22 November, with coverage on CNBC, NBC, Golf Channel and Peacock.
LPGATourLeader: Shuri Sakuma (-20)No tournament in progress
Shuri Sakuma won the TOTO Japan Classic on 8 November at 20 under. The LPGA Tour now moves to The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican, which starts today, Thursday 12 November, and runs through Sunday 15 November, on CNBC and Golf Channel. The week brings a debut: the Greensboro News and Record reports that Macy Pate, a Wake Forest star, will make her LPGA Tour debut at The ANNIKA. Sakuma's win was the latest in an autumn stretch in which no player has won twice, so nobody arrives at The ANNIKA with an obvious hold on the Tour, and the week is a chance for a new name to emerge. Away from the tournament, Sky Sports has a guide to the women's TGL schedule, with Charley Hull, Lottie Woad and LPGA Tour stars taking part.
LPGATourLeader: Shuri Sakuma (-20)No tournament in progress
Between events: Shuri Sakuma won the TOTO Japan Classic on Sunday 8 November at 20 under, the last stop of the tour's run of events in Asia. The LPGA Tour now turns to The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican, which runs Thursday 12 November to Sunday 15 November on CNBC and Golf Channel. Golf Channel reported that Nichols, discussing the LPGA awards, defended Nelly's decision to skip the Asian swing. IndyStar published photos of Annabelle Pancake-Webb of Zionsville, the newest member of the LPGA Tour, a reminder that the tour's membership is already turning towards next season. With the Asian swing over, The ANNIKA is the first event back in the United States, and Sakuma's 20-under total is the latest winning score the field will be measured against.
LPGATourLeader: Shuri Sakuma (-20)No tournament in progress
The Tour is between competitive rounds today — the most recent result was TOTO Japan Classic, where Sakuma closed at -20. That result is the baseline for how the field stacks up heading into the next scheduled start.
A wider read on the stretch: Yamashita took Maybank Championship at -22. Different courses reward different profiles — bomber-friendly setups versus position-off-the-tee layouts tell you who's built for which stops.
Next up: The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican (2026-11-12). Watch the early-week commits and the practice-round groupings — they hint at who's treating this week as a marker.
LPGATourLeader: Shuri Sakuma (-20)No tournament in progress
The Tour is between competitive rounds today — the most recent result was TOTO Japan Classic, where Sakuma closed at -20. That result is the baseline for how the field stacks up heading into the next scheduled start.
A wider read on the stretch: Yamashita took Maybank Championship at -22. Different courses reward different profiles — bomber-friendly setups versus position-off-the-tee layouts tell you who's built for which stops.
Next up: The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican (2026-11-12). Watch the early-week commits and the practice-round groupings — they hint at who's treating this week as a marker.
LPGAFinalLeader: Shuri Sakuma (-20)TOTO Japan Classic
Shuri Sakuma won the TOTO Japan Classic at -20, closing with an -8 after starting the final round at -12, three shots behind Aki Iwai. Her rounds were -2, -7, -3 and -8, a week that built toward the finish rather than starting fast. Iwai finished second at -16 after a closing -1, having begun the day one shot clear after a 66 on Saturday, ESPN reported. Erika Hara was third at -15, and Yuna Araki and Arpichaya Yubol shared fourth at -14. Elsewhere, Maria Fassi and Juniper Jang shared co-medallist honours at the LPGA Q-Series qualifying stage, the LPGA reported. The tour now moves to The ANNIKA, which runs from Thursday 12 to Sunday 15 November. The Maybank Championship before it went to Miyu Yamashita at -22.
LPGAIn ProgressLeader: Aki Iwai (-15)TOTO Japan Classic
Arpichaya Yubol and Aki Iwai face the same decision in Japan: attack a crowded leaderboard or protect a share of the lead. The TOTO Japan Classic, which runs from 5 to 8 November, is midway through its third round. On the live board, Yubol and Iwai are both on -14. Sayaka Takahashi and Erika Hara are one shot behind on -13. Hara jumped into contention with a bogey-free 65, per the LPGA. There is no cut this week, so the field stays intact for the weekend. The tour arrived from Malaysia, where Miyu Yamashita won the Maybank Championship at -22 on Sunday 1 November. The live board will move again before the final round on Sunday in Japan. After this week comes The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican, from Thursday 12 to Sunday 15 November, on CNBC and Golf Channel.
LPGAPlay CompleteLeader: Nasa Hataoka (-12)TOTO Japan Classic
Miyu Yamashita arrived in Japan chasing a second straight win, and on the live second-round leaderboard she shares the TOTO Japan Classic lead with Nasa Hataoka at 12 under par. Hataoka followed a four-under first round by going eight under in her second, while Yamashita has matched her opening six under to join her at the top. Ana Belac and Youmin Hwang are two shots back at 10 under, with a five-way group at nine under including Sayaka Takahashi, who shared the first-round lead. Yamashita's form is the story: she won the Maybank Championship on Sunday at 22 under, two shots clear of Yan Liu, with Marisa Tojai and Pauline Roussin-Bouchard sharing third. Away from the leaderboard, Nelly Korda has been named LPGA Player of the Year for a second time. The TOTO runs through Sunday, before The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican from Thursday 12 November.
LPGAPlay CompleteLeader: Sayaka Takahashi (-6)TOTO Japan Classic
Sayaka Takahashi faces a decision on how hard to attack with a one-shot lead at the TOTO Japan Classic. Takahashi is six under in the first round, one ahead of Fuka Suga, Aina Fujimoto and Aki Iwai at five under. Miyu Yamashita, who won the Maybank Championship on Sunday at 22 under, two shots clear of Yan Liu, is among a large group at four under. Off the course, Korda clinched the LPGA Player of the Year award and finished a point shy of the LPGA Hall of Fame, the Jefferson City News Tribune reported, and the LPGA said the race for the CME Globe bubble is heating up. The tournament runs through Sunday, and the following event is The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican from November 12. The weekend at the TOTO Japan Classic forces the decision every contender faces: whether to protect a position or press for the win.
LPGATourLeader: Miyu Yamashita (-22)No tournament in progress
The TOTO Japan Classic begins tomorrow. The live leaderboard had not been settled at publication time, so the read here shifts toward course fit, recent form, and the names worth watching as tee times roll out.
Last off the schedule: Yamashita closed Maybank Championship at -22. That result is the baseline for how the field stacks up into this week's test.
Worth tracking through the weekend: who carries Thursday momentum into Saturday afternoon, and which names sit inside the top 10 with a clear path to the trophy.
LPGATourLeader: Miyu Yamashita (-22)No tournament in progress
The Tour is between competitive rounds today — the most recent result was Maybank Championship, where Yamashita closed at -22. That result is the baseline for how the field stacks up heading into the next scheduled start.
A wider read on the stretch: Yoshida took BMW Ladies Championship at -17. Different courses reward different profiles — bomber-friendly setups versus position-off-the-tee layouts tell you who's built for which stops.
Next up: TOTO Japan Classic (2026-11-05). Watch the early-week commits and the practice-round groupings — they hint at who's treating this week as a marker.
Miyu Yamashita won the Maybank Championship in Malaysia by two strokes, finishing at 22 under par to defend her title. Yan Liu finished second at 20 under, Marisa Tojai and Pauline Roussin-Bouchard tied for third at 19 under, and Robyn Choi was fifth at 17 under.
ESPN reported Yamashita took a two-stroke lead into the final round after a 5-under 67 on Saturday, and the Herald Bulletin's headline said she held off Liu to close it out. The margin at the finish was the same two strokes she started the day with.
The win follows Yuri Yoshida's victory at the BMW Ladies Championship at 17 under. Next on the schedule is the TOTO Japan Classic, starting on 5 November.
Miyu Yamashita has to decide, through the remaining rounds at the Maybank Championship, how aggressively to defend a three-stroke lead over a four-way tie at -10. A Lim Kim, Julia López Ramirez, Charley Hull, and Pauline Roussin-Bouchard are all level in second — and the compression matters. One bad stretch shrinks this to a one-shot tournament. Hull's presence is worth noting: per Sky Sports, she sat two off the lead after the opening round, and has since moved to within three of Yamashita at -10. Yesterday this paper framed this as Roussin-Bouchard's decision to protect or press; today Yamashita owns that question. At -13 through 18 holes, with 15 of the top 15 under par, the entire top of the board is scoring. Protecting a lead in those conditions is harder than manufacturing one. The TOTO Japan Classic follows on November 5. Whoever closes well here carries momentum into that week — Yamashita most of all, if she can hold this margin.
Pauline Roussin-Bouchard holds a one-stroke lead at the Maybank Championship, but the decision now belongs to the six players at -5 who are still close enough to turn a single birdie run into a two-way fight. Roussin-Bouchard sits at -8; Sophia Schubert and Miyu Yamashita are one back at -7, and Perrine Delacour trails by two. That top-to-fourth gap of two strokes is tight enough that the tournament's shape shifts with any cluster of birdies. Per ESPN, Haeran Ryu withdrew before the first round, thinning a field that is already remarkably bunched, with every player in the top 15 under par. The winner travels to the TOTO Japan Classic on November 5.
LPGATourLeader: Yuri Yoshida (-17)No tournament in progress
Choi Hye-jin has a decision to make at the Maybank Championship: press for the win she has not closed in two consecutive runner-up finishes, or manage the round and let a title come to her. The Playbook predicts Choi Hye-jin finishes top 5 at the Maybank Championship. Two second-place results in a row create their own pressure — the kind that shows up on Sunday, not Thursday. Per news.sbs.co.kr, Yoo Hae-ran also tees it up in Malaysia with the Vare Trophy in her sights, adding a scoring-title subplot to the week. The backdrop is Yuri Yoshida's -17 at the BMW Ladies Championship, a number that resets the benchmark for winning totals in this stretch of the calendar. For Choi, the question the final round will force is the same one it has forced twice already: when the gap is closeable, does she choose the aggressive line or the percentage play?
LPGATourLeader: Yuri Yoshida (-17)No tournament in progress
Choi Hye-jin arrives at the Maybank Championship carrying a specific burden: two consecutive runner-up finishes that have not yet resolved into a win. The Playbook predicts Choi converts one of those near-misses into a title at the Maybank Championship. That is the decision she faces on every approach shot this week — whether to execute the risk that has twice left her second rather than first. Yuri Yoshida, meanwhile, closed the BMW Ladies Championship at -17 to claim her first LPGA title, per NDTV Sports and The Augusta Press, a result that reshuffles the form picture heading into Malaysia. Yoo Hae-ran adds another layer: per news.sbs.co.kr, she is competing with the Vare Trophy in view, which means her strategy this week runs on a different clock than the rest of the field. Three players, three divergent objectives, one leaderboard. The Maybank Championship begins 29 October.
LPGATourLeader: Yuri Yoshida (-17)No tournament in progress
Yuri Yoshida had to choose, on the final tee Sunday at Pine Beach Golf Links, whether a one-stroke lead was enough to play for — or whether it required defending. She pressed. The decision held. Yoshida closed at -17 to win the BMW Ladies Championship, per Sky Sports, holding off Haeran Ryu and Hye-Jin Choi in a finish tight enough that any miscalculation over the closing holes would have cost her. It was her first LPGA Tour title. The margin was thin; the execution was not. A last-minute strategic adjustment that Yoshida herself doubted, per شبكة تواصل الإخبارية, turned out to be the difference — risk that paid precisely because she committed to it rather than hedging. Now the LPGA Tour moves to the Maybank Championship on October 29. The question that tournament forces: whether Yoshida can carry the decision-making clarity of a first win into a field that will now be watching her.
LPGAIn ProgressLeader: Yuri Yoshida (-17)BMW Ladies Championship
Yuri Yoshida stands on the first tee of the final round with a one-stroke lead and a decision about how to hold it. The margin is thin — Hye-Jin Choi and Haeran Ryu sit at -16, two strokes clear of Minsol Kim at -15, and five players are bunched at -14 behind them. Per ESPN, Choi moved into that tie for second with an eagle and seven birdies across her first eleven holes on Saturday, shooting a 66 on a rain-soaked Pine Beach Golf Links. That round signals she is not waiting. Yoshida's execution in the closing stretch decides whether the lead is protection or decoration. One stroke is not a cushion — it is a decision deferred from yesterday to today. The Maybank Championship follows on October 29th, but the players who finish inside the top five here carry momentum into that event. Yoshida has to earn what the 54-hole leaderboard gave her.
Haeran Ryu's eight-under 64 on Friday — two eagles, birdies on her final two holes — is the round that reset the BMW Ladies Championship. She shares the 36-hole lead with Hye-Jin Choi at -15, three strokes clear of a three-way group at -12: Minji Park, Minju Kim, and Yuri Yoshida. Per ESPN, Ryu called the state of her game straightforwardly good, and the scorecard supports that read. Moving Day now decides whether that 64 becomes a foundation or a footnote. The question is consequence: three strokes is a lead, not a lock, and a South Korean leaderboard this compressed tends to move fast in round three. The Maybank Championship follows on October 29. Before that, Ryu and Choi spend Saturday proving which of them owns this tournament — and whether anyone at -12 can make the gap irrelevant first.
LPGAIn ProgressLeader: Minsun7 Kim (-11)BMW Ladies Championship
Kim holds the clubhouse lead at BMW Ladies Championship at -11, posting -3. Scoring conditions are telling — 15 of the top 15 on the board are under par, so the course is giving up looks when players commit to their lines.
The chase pack is live: Coughlin at -11, Ryu at -11, Ramirez at -10. A birdie-eagle stretch inside the weekend can flip this in a dozen holes, which puts a premium on ball-striking off the tee and controlling spin into the greens.
Next up on the schedule: Maybank Championship (2026-10-29). Course fit and recent form travel — players peaking this week carry momentum into a different test, and Race to the CME Globe points pile up fast in this stretch of the calendar.
Karis Davidson shares the top of the BMW Ladies Championship leaderboard at even par through one round, but the decision she faces in Round 2 is whether even par is a position to defend or an invitation for the field to swallow her. Six shots separate her from Yuri Yoshida in second — a gap that, per the Korea Times, a seaside layout where wind is the defining variable can erase in a single wave of holes. Yoshida sits at -6, with Julia López Ramirez, Lauren Coughlin, and Lucy Li a stroke further back at -5. Eleven of the top fifteen are already under par, which means the course is scoreable when the wind cooperates — and dangerous when it does not. Davidson's margin is not a cushion; it is a target. The Maybank Championship follows on October 29th, so the stakes here are immediate: which player can execute when the conditions turn.
LPGATourLeader: Ruoning Yin (-11)No tournament in progress
Ruoning Yin's -11 at Buick LPGA Shanghai is the result to beat when the BMW Ladies Championship tees off Wednesday. The Playbook predicts Charley Hull finishes top 10 at the BMW Ladies Championship. Hull arrives in Korea with her name in the news cycle for reasons off the course — per BroBible and Sportsnaut, the LPGA star has been candid about quitting smoking and vaping, and about a youthful near-miss with a forehead tattoo — but the decision she faces this week is simpler: can she execute with enough consistency to contend against a field that includes players sharpened by recent Asian swing form? Hull's ball-striking profile tends to reward courses that ask for shape off the tee rather than raw distance, and the BMW Ladies Championship has historically delivered that test. Meanwhile, per Central Oregon Daily, the LPGA's slow-play penalties have touched multiple players this season — a list worth watching for anyone tracking pace-of-play risk heading into the final stretch. Per AOL.com, the Grant Thornton Invitational field of 16 LPGA and PGA Tour teams has also been confirmed, giving the calendar shape beyond this week. Hull's week starts Thursday.
LPGATourLeader: Ruoning Yin (-11)No tournament in progress
The Tour is between competitive rounds today — the most recent result was Buick LPGA Shanghai, where Yin closed at -11. That result is the baseline for how the field stacks up heading into the next scheduled start.
A wider read on the stretch: Thitikul took LOTTE Championship pres. by Hoakalei at -21. Different courses reward different profiles — bomber-friendly setups versus position-off-the-tee layouts tell you who's built for which stops.
Next up: BMW Ladies Championship (2026-10-22). Watch the early-week commits and the practice-round groupings — they hint at who's treating this week as a marker.
LPGATourLeader: Ruoning Yin (-11)No tournament in progress
The Tour is between competitive rounds today — the most recent result was Buick LPGA Shanghai, where Yin closed at -11. That result is the baseline for how the field stacks up heading into the next scheduled start.
A wider read on the stretch: Thitikul took LOTTE Championship pres. by Hoakalei at -21. Different courses reward different profiles — bomber-friendly setups versus position-off-the-tee layouts tell you who's built for which stops.
Next up: BMW Ladies Championship (2026-10-22). Watch the early-week commits and the practice-round groupings — they hint at who's treating this week as a marker.