Yuri Yoshida hit a pitching wedge from 48 yards to a back pin on an elevated green to 4 feet, a sublime shot that effectively secured her first LPGA Tour title at the BMW Ladies Championship in South Korea.

Yoshida became the fifth first-time winner on the LPGA this season, and the third from Japan. Her victory came a month after Yuna Nishimura won in Arkansas. And in August, Shiho Kuwaki captured her first major at the Women's British Open.

But it goes back further than this year. Japanese players have won five of the last 15 majors over the last three years, two more than players from South Korea and one player (Nelly Korda) from the United States — Yuka Saso (U.S. Women's Open), Mao Saigo (Chevron), Miyu Yamashita and Kuwaki (Women's British Open), and Ayaka Furue (Evian).

The last two years on the LPGA have seen nine different players from Japan winning official events.

South Korea, which has dominated the LPGA the last three decades, still has the depth with 14 players among the top 50 in the women's world ranking. Japan is next with 10 players.

Most of them get plenty of preparation on the Japan LPGA. Saigo and Yamashita each won five times in 2022. Yamashita won five more times on the JLPGA in 2023 and now is No. 4 in the world, the highest ranking among Japanese players. Kuwaki won three times on the JLPGA in 2024 and two years later became a major champion.

Along with her Women's British Open title at Royal Lytham & St. Annes, Kuwaki won Sunday for her fourth JLPGA title of the year, the most of any player. Next is Shuri Sakuma with three wins. Sakuma won four times last year, and might be a name worth remembering.

AP