Japanese rookie Akie Iwai has put on quite the show in just her second start as an LPGA Tour member this week at the Honda LPGA Thailand.

Playing as a sponsor exemption, Iwai kicked off her third appearance in this event in style, carding a bogey-free, 10-under 62 on Thursday to tie the 18-hole tournament scoring record that was first set by Jessica Korda in 2018. She made a whopping 10 birdies while blitzing the Old Course at Siam Country Club on day one, seven of which came in the first half of her round and helped her to a front-nine 29.

The 62 is now the 22-year-old’s lowest career 18-hole score on the LPGA Tour, besting her previous benchmark of 63 that she carded in the first round of the TOTO Japan Classic in 2023 by one stroke. Her day-one effort also helped Iwai to her second career 18-hole lead/co-lead on the LPGA Tour, as she also led after round one at the 2023 TOTO Japan Classic.

“Today, I did shot well and putt well,” said Iwai of her 62. “I think I learn where to miss and not to miss, and management I learned each year (I have played in the Honda LPGA Thailand). I am getting to know the golf course very well.”

Iwai kept things rolling on Friday at the Honda LPGA Thailand, this time posting a blemish-free 5-under 67, a round that saw her make birdies on holes one, four, seven, 13 and 15. Moving to 15-under overall, Iwai then held the first 36-hole lead/co-lead of her LPGA Tour career, as she was just two strokes ahead of LPGA Tour winner Angel Yin after two days of play in Thailand.

“Today also I did shot well, putt well. Good distance together. So that's why I made a lot of birdie also today,” Iwai said after round two, and then when asked about her weekend strategy, she continued, “I don't care result, and then I just stick with my game plan. Just keep going, so stay focused, focus on my golf until finish the holes.”

Saturday saw Iwai cool off substantially, as she only managed to post a 1-under 71 to move to 16-under for the tournament. She picked up two quick birdies in her first four holes of the third round on the par-4 2nd and par-3 4th holes and then erased that effort with bogeys on nine and 13 to slip back to even par for the day. Iwai did wind up landing one last birdie on the par-4 15th hole to get back into red numbers, but she was surpassed by Yin after the American recorded an 8-under 64 on Moving Day to climb to 21-under total.

“I'm looking forward to today, so was good,” said Iwai when asked how it felt to play in the final group for the second consecutive round. “Actually looking forward to this situation because this is why I came to LPGA Tour, so I enjoy that.”

Iwai is within five strokes of the lead entering the final round for the first time in her LPGA Tour career, currently sitting in solo second, five strokes back of 54-hole leader Yin. While it will certainly take another spectacular effort from the rookie if she wants to make up that fairly large deficit, Iwai has more than proven this week that she is up for the challenge of going low in a final round on the LPGA Tour.

She has also had plenty of early-week preparation for playing in a final group while in contention, as Iwai was in the last group for both the second and third rounds at Siam Country Club. So even though there will likely be some nerves for the rookie as she works to become the first Japanese player since Ai Miyazato in 2010 to win this event and the first sponsor exemption to win an LPGA Tour event since Rose Zhang in 2023, Iwai is looking forward to what’s still to come during the final round of the 2025 Honda LPGA Thailand.

Akie Iwai in Solo Second With 18 Holes to Play at Honda LPGA Thailand

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