Chisato was born on July 5, 2002, in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. Though there is no information about her parents. The journey towards professional golf had a major contribution from her sister, Akei Iwai. Both Iwai sisters started playing at the age of 8 and have been supporting each other to improve their play. The Japanese golfer first got praised for her victorious stance at the Golf Digest Japan Junior Cup in 2018. Her caliber as a golfer was acknowledged when she successfully defended the title in 2019. Soon after clinching two titles, she joined the LPGA of Japan Tour in 2021, and the story of her exceptional performance continued.

Professional career of Chisato Iwai

With high hopes after two consecutive wins, the 22-year-old stood strong on expectation and clinched her first title in her rookie year. She won the Step-Up tour. Later, in 2022, she became the third golfer in history to win two consecutive weeks. The count kept increasing as she won two titles in 2023, including the Ai Miyazato Suntory Ladies Open Golf Tournament. Even in 2024, Iwai added three more victories: the Daikin Orchid Ladies, RKB Mitsui Matsushima Ladies, and the Hisako Higuchi Mitsubishi Electric Ladies Golf Tournament.

With exemptions in between, she got 11 opportunities to take part in the LPGA Tour events before becoming a member. But with her 21-under score, Iwai finished second at the Final Qualifying portion of the LPGA Q-Series in 2024. The result of which is the LPGA Tour membership for the 2025 season.

Chisato Iwai’s rookie year on the LPGA Tour

For the Japanese professional, the debut on the LPGA Tour wasn’t easy. She experienced a high-pressure situation and an unexpected penalty, resulting in lifetime regret. Starting the season, Iwai featured at the Founders Cup presented by U.S. Virgin Islands, but her over-par rounds of 73-73 resulted in missing the cut.

Taking a lesson from the heartbreak, she found a redemption path at the Honda LPGA Thailand, as despite the average start with 75 in the first round, she recorded 65 in the second to make the cut. But with another 75 in the third, it made it tough to find a respectable place. However, the lesson worked for her, as again she recorded 66 in the final round to conclude at T24. With the learnings from the first few events, she has recorded three top-30 finishes and a T11.

However, apart from the first missed cut, she had to go through a similar grief after missing the cut at the Black Desert Championship. She recorded rounds of 70 and 73, but this time it wasn’t only her performance to blame. Iwai in the second round suffered a two-stroke penalty for slow play, which resulted in turning the par score on the 8th hole into a double bogey and ending her chances to make the cut. The golfer missed the cut by just two strokes.

As per the new policy of the LPGA penalty for exceeding 1-15 seconds results in a 1-stroke penalty, while for Iwai, the penalty came in as she took more than 15 seconds. The golfer, with her exceptional performance after the first missed cut, was showcasing a strong sign of a comeback. After three rounds at the 2025 Mexico Riviera Maya Open, she is tied for second.

With the exceptional performance since the beginning, the professional has been showcasing the same glimpse against the best golfers. But can she clinch her debut title in her rookie year? What are your thoughts on this? Share with us in the comments below.