It’s the LPGA Tour’s last adventure in its Asian Swing. And it’s going to be a wild affair in the land of the rising sun. Defending champion, Rio Takeda, will be battling hard to fight against her peers in the 2025 TOTO Japan Classic. She will battle hard to fight to retain the title and win the maximum from the $2.1 million purse. However, it won’t be easy for her to become a back-to-back champion as stars like Minjee Lee, Miyu Yamashita, & Co. will be standing in her way.

But the question is, how many challengers will she have to face at the Seta Golf Course this week? And will Takeda be at risk of entirely missing the cut over the weekend? Let’s take a look at the format of the TOTO Japan Classic.

Is there a cut in the 2025 TOTO Japan Classic?

Last year, things got heated between Rio Takeda & Marina Alex after the regulation 72 holes. They were tied for 15-under par, with Haeran Ryu chasing them by 1 stroke. In the end, it only took two extra playoff holes for Takeda to beat Alex and lift the title. But, in the end, everyone who entered the competition won a share of the total prize money. That’s because the 2024 TOTO Japan Classic was a limited field event and didn’t have a weekend cut.

The same will be the case in 2025 as well. As confirmed on the official website of the tournament, the 2025 TOTO Japan Classic will be played between 78 LPGA Tour stars. The field will not be cut after the end of the second round on Friday, November 7, 2025. All the 78 players who have entered the tournament will play through the 72 holes. Unless they themselves decide to withdraw from the event due to some unforeseen circumstance. That also means the $2.1 million will be distributed among all 78 pros.

With the format determined, what will the field at the Seta Golf Course look like? Let’s take a peek at what we can expect to see in the 2025 TOTO Japan Classic.

Japanese stars meet some of the best in the world

Minjee Lee & Miyu Yamashita have had a great season on the LPGA Tour this year. They both have managed to capture a major each. Alternatively, the Japanese pro has come fresh off a win in the Maybank Championship last week. Either of them can be strong contenders for Rio Takeda’s title, if the defending champion doesn’t end up retaining it.

However, all of them and the rest of the LPGA Tour stars will face tough competition from the local pros participating in the event. Out of the 78 women on the field, only 43 will be representing the LPGA Tour. 35 will be from the JLPGA and have home soil advantage in the tournament. And they would also be more familiar with playing in Japan than local LPGA Tour stars like Yamashita & Takeda, who have moved to the United States. So it will be a difficult challenge for all of them. It will be interesting to see who comes out on top and wins the 2025 TOTO Japan Classic.