Japan’s Nasa Hataoka stayed firmly in contention on Friday at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, posting a 1-under 71 in the second round at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club to remain just one shot off the lead with 36 holes remaining.

Hataoka, a seven-time LPGA Tour winner and a member at Lake Nona, followed up her opening-round 66 with a steady performance in round two, finishing the day tied for third at 7-under overall. She sits one stroke behind co-leaders Lydia Ko and Lottie Woad, who share the lead at 8-under, and is currently alongside major champion Amy Yang heading into the weekend at the first event of the 2026 LPGA Tour season.

Starting the day on the front nine with a one-shot lead, Hataoka opened with four consecutive pars to remain at 6-under through the par-3 fourth hole. She then picked up her first birdie of the round on the par-4 fifth hole to move to 7-under but was unable to add momentum before the turn. After parring holes six through eight, Hataoka dropped her first shot of the day with a bogey at the par-5 ninth to make the turn at 6-under overall.

The 27-year-old’s back nine followed a similar rhythm. She made par on the 10th and 11th holes before another bogey at the par-4 12th briefly slowed her progress. Hataoka steadied herself with pars on holes 13 through 15 and then birdied the par-4 16th to climb back to 6-under.

After parring 17, Hataoka closed her round with a birdie on the par-4 18th, rolling in a putt to card a back-nine 35 for the round and get to 7-under.

“I couldn’t play last year, so I really wanted to play this tournament,” said the Hilton Grand Vacations ambassador on Thursday. “This is my home course.”

Hataoka has leaned on her consistent ball-striking early in Orlando, hitting 23 of 28 fairways and 26 of 36 greens in regulation through two rounds. Her ability to limit mistakes has kept her in the mix in a field made up exclusively of LPGA Tour winners from the past two seasons and a crop of celebrities, who are playing in their own modified Stableford competition.

Hataoka won the 2025 TOTO Japan Classic in November for her first victory since 2022 and said after the second round in Florida that she remains incredibly motivated as Japan’s contingent on the LPGA Tour continues to grow, even more so considering how much her younger counterparts are already winning.

“When I came on this Tour, I was the youngest Japanese player,” Hataoka said with a smile. “Right now, there are 15 Japanese players, and I’m the oldest now. So, yeah, I’m trying to win still.”

With cooler conditions expected over the weekend, Hataoka acknowledged that Lake Nona can present a different challenge depending on the weather, a difficult test she and the rest of the field are preparing to face with the first trophy of the season on the line.

And with local knowledge on her side at Lake Nona, Hataoka just might be able to secure her eighth career title, what would be a perfect jumpstart to her 2026 season on the LPGA Tour.

Nasa Hataoka Hanging One Shot Back After Steady Second Round at Lake Nona

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