Nasa Hataoka declared winner as Marathon LPGA Classic reduced to 54 holes

The Marathon LPGA Classic was reduced to a 54-hole tournament after poor weather conditions made the course unplayable. Nasa Hataoka led the tournament by six shots going into the final round in Sylvania, Ohio. She hit two shots on Sunday before players were removed from the course.

LPGA senior manager of rules and competition Donna Mummert explained why the tournament was reduced to 54 holes, despite all players having tee off in the final round. 

“We were able to start on time and played through the rain,” she said, “but at 9:40 [a.m. ET] we started losing the greens and the rain just continued.”

Full-field scores from the Marathon LPGA Classic

The LPGA said in a Tweet that, “Finishing the tournament tomorrow is not an option due to an unfavorable forecast.” The upcoming event, the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational in Michigan, begins on Wednesday.

Hataoka claimed her fourth LPGA Tour title and her first since 2019. She lost in a playoff to Yuka Saso in the U.S. Women’s Open last month. 

“Knowing that it’s such a strong field and for me to have [a] win every year was my dream or my plan, but since not winning last year it was really tough,” Hataoka said. “But getting this win is good.”

Mina Harigae and Elizabeth Szokol tied for second place.