On Sunday at this week\u2019s LPGA event, the 2025 Toto Japan Classic, rain walloped the host course, leading to a canceled final round and an improvised one-hole playoff on a shortened par-5 to decide the winner.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s everything you need to know about the bizarre finish.<\/p>\n
\u2018Unplayable course conditions\u2019 lead to canceled final round<\/p>\n
Sunday\u2019s final round at the Toto Japan Classic ended shortly after it began. At 10:57 a.m. local time, the LPGA announced that play had been suspended due to \u201cunplayable course conditions\u201d caused by heavy rain.<\/p>\n
The final round of play at the TOTO Japan Classic was suspended at 10:57 a.m. local due to unplayable course conditions.@LPGA<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 LPGA Media (@LPGAMedia) November 9, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n But two hours later, the rain hadn\u2019t let up, the course was still swamped and more rain was forecasted for the remainder of the day.<\/p>\n At that point, tournament organizers made the difficult decision to cancel the final round and officially shorten the event to 54 holes.<\/p>\n The LPGA released a statement on X that read: \u201cAfter assessing the golf course and discussing with the golf course superintendent, the course is currently unplayable. The forecast is for continuous rain, at times heavy. Due to the current conditions and the forecast, the decision has been made to cancel Round 4 and the tournament will be reduced to a 54-hole event.\u201d<\/p>\n The statement added, \u201cOfficial points and official money will be distributed based on yesterday\u2019s 54-hole results.\u201d<\/p>\n But there was one problem. Two players finished the third round tied for the lead. So the officials decided to stage a rare sudden-death playoff to determine the champion<\/a>.<\/p>\n Toto Japan Classic decided in playoff on shortened hole<\/p>\n It\u2019s not entirely uncommon for LPGA or PGA Tour<\/a> events to be shortened to 54 holes due to weather. In most of those cases, whoever is in the lead at the 54-hole mark wins the tournament.<\/p>\n But when the Toto Japan Classic was officially shortened to 54 holes on Sunday, Nasa Hataoka<\/a> and Yuna Araki shared the lead at 15 under.<\/p>\n Because they were knotted at 201 strokes, a playoff would need to be played to crown a winner. But the course conditions were growing more and more unplayable every moment.<\/p>\n To solve this issue, the LPGA came up with a unique idea. The playoff would be held on Seta Golf Club\u2019s long par-5 18th hole. But due to the course conditions, Hataoka and Araki wouldn\u2019t play the full length of the hole. Instead, the 18th would be shortened to a par-3 playing around 130 yards.<\/p>\n The playoff will begin at 2:30 p.m. on Hole 18. Hole 18 has been shortened to a par 3, playing approximately 130 yards.@LPGA<\/a> | @TOTO_JP_CLASSIC<\/a><\/p>\n