Staff WriterThe LOTTE Championship is shaping up to be a Sunday shootout, with Japan’s Akie Iwai clinging to a one-shot lead while a logjam of contenders sit just three strokes back.
On a day when the winds at Hoakalei Country Club played as stubbornly as a Scottish links, Iwai posted a workmanlike 1-under 71 to move to 15-under overall. It wasn’t her prettiest round, but it was enough to give the 24-year-old rookie a chance at history in her first start at the LOTTE Championship.
Iwai’s Steady Grip
Iwai began with a birdie at the opening hole, but balanced the books with two bogeys before steadying the ship with three total birdies on the card. She found just 8 of 14 fairways, but her iron play — 13 greens in regulation — and a silky putting stroke kept her out front.
“I would say I’m shot maker. Yeah, so, yeah, tomorrow also I have confidence,” Iwai said, her words carrying the calm of someone who’s been here before.
This is actually the third time she has led after 54 holes this season, and she has already proven she can finish the job. She won the Standard Portland Classic earlier in the year and finished runner-up at the JM Eagle Championship.
A win in Hawaii would make her the first multiple winner on the LPGA Tour this season, and just the second Japanese player to lift the LOTTE Championship trophy after Ai Miyazato’s inaugural victory in 2012.
The Chase Pack at -12
The leaderboard looks like rush hour on the H-1 freeway, with eight players tied for second at 12-under. Each has the credentials to spoil Iwai’s island party.
Minami Katsu
Katsu, who has quietly built a reputation as one of Japan’s most reliable ball strikers, caught fire with a 6-under 66. She rattled off seven birdies, including a dazzling stretch of three in four holes. “I feel like my swing is really consistent right now,” she said. “I’ve been working my core with my trainer. I feel like that’s one of the reasons.”
Hyo Joo Kim
Kim, the 2022 LOTTE champion, is lurking with the kind of bogey-free 66 that wins golf tournaments. She hit 13 of 14 fairways and rolled in six birdies, including one at the last. A win here would be her second of the season and push her career earnings past $11 million. Not bad for a week’s work.
Megan Khang
Khang, meanwhile, looked like she was auditioning for a role in Moana. She birdied her first three holes en route to a 67 and has been soaking up the Hawaiian vibes. “I’ve been jokingly singing I’m an island girl this whole week,” she laughed. “It’s pretty easy to take your mind off golf once you leave the course because there are so many things to do.”
Peiyun Chien
Chien, the steady Taiwanese contender, posted yet another round in the 60s, a 68 built on 13 fairways and five birdies. She has quietly tied Iwai in greens hit through three rounds — a stat that tends to pay dividends on Sunday afternoons.
Brooke Matthews
Then there’s Arkansas alum Brooke Matthews, who strung together her third straight sub-70 with a 69. She opened with back-to-back birdies and has been flawless out of bunkers, leading the field in sand saves. “I’m excited to get some reps in contention,” Matthews said. “I will either win or I won’t win. Both are survivable outcomes.”
Pornanong Phatlum
Thailand’s Pornanong Phatlum has been more efficient than a Swiss train timetable — three straight rounds in the 60s, including a bogey-free 69 on Saturday. She’s made just one bogey all week, a stat so clean it belongs in a museum.
Jessica Porvasnik
LPGA rookie Jessica Porvasnik cooled off with an even-par 72, but still leads the field in greens hit through 54 holes (47 of 54). If her putter wakes up, she could pull off one of the season’s biggest upsets.
Youmin Hwang
South Korea’s Youmin Hwang stumbled with a 75, but the sponsor invite remains in the mix at -12. Her best finish here was T9 in 2023, and she’d love to better that with a win that could grant her full LPGA membership.
What’s at Stake on Sunday
The math is simple, but the storylines are delicious.
- Iwai could become the first multiple winner of 2025, while also setting an LPGA record for Japanese victories in a single season.
- Katsu is chasing her first LPGA win, one that would mark the 12th Rolex First-Time Winner of the year.
- Kim could become a two-time LOTTE champion and the Tour’s first double winner of the season.
- Khang, Matthews, and Porvasnik could extend the season’s theme of American variety, with four different U.S. winners already in 2025.
- Phatlum would become the oldest winner on Tour this year, proving experience still counts.
Tournament Records and Context
Hoakalei Country Club has only hosted since 2022, but the LOTTE Championship has a rich history of birdie-fests. Lydia Ko owns the 72-hole scoring record at 260, and Youmin Hwang tied the 18-hole mark with a 62 earlier this week. If the wind lays down, Sunday could see another number etched into the record books.
Final Thoughts
The LOTTE Championship has become a proving ground for first-timers and a stage for veterans alike. With Iwai holding the slimmest of cushions and eight determined pursuers ready to pounce, Sunday in Hawaii promises drama by the bucketful.
Whether it’s Iwai making history, Kim reclaiming her crown, or one of the rookies breaking through, the final round at Hoakalei will be anything but a stroll on the beach.
