Rio Takeda

Takeda was born in Kochi, Kumamoto, in 2003, and started playing golf when she was six. Her mother, Satoko Hirase, is a former professional golfer. So is her aunt, Mayumi Hirase, who has 18 wins on the LPGA of Japan Tour (1989 - 2000) and one LPGA Tour win in 1996.
She enjoyed success as an amateur and won the 39th Kyushu Junior Golf Championship.
In the fall of 2021, Takeda won the low amateur title at the 54th Japan Women's Open Golf Championship. The distinction earned her a spot in the final qualifying for the LPGA of Japan Tour, where she finished 5th.
She turned pro in 2022 and joined the JLPGA. In 20 starts, she made 13 cuts, with three top-ten finishes: T-3rd at the CAT Ladies, T-2nd at the Miyagi TV Cup Dunlop Ladies, and T-8th at the Nobuta Group Masters. She earned yen21,298,142 (USA$145,207) and finished 61st on the money list
2023 Notes: Played in 37 JLPGA events, making 31 cuts with five top ten finishes. Her best finish was T-4th at the CAT Ladies. She earned yen46,661,490 (USA$318,131), and she finished 29th on the money list.
2024 Notes: Played in 32 JLPGA events, making 27 cuts with 23 top ten finishes. She won eight times: Hokkaido Meiji Cup, Bridgestone Ladies Open, Fujisankei Ladies Classic, KKTcup Vantelin Ladies Open, Golf 5 Ladies Professional Golf Tournament, Sony JLPGA Championship, Japan Women's Open Golf Championship, and Toto Japan Classic. Takeda earned yen265,730,016 (USA$1,798,822), finishing 1st on the money list. She also led the tour in driving distance and greens in regulation. Her strong start got her into the top 75 of the Rolex Rankings, which earned her a spot in the U.S. Women's Open, where she finished T-9th. She played in the KPMG Women's PGA, finishing T-32nd, and was T-55th at the Evian Championship. After missing the cut in the AIG Women' Open, she won three more times in five starts on the Japan LPGA, culminating with her win at the Japan Women's Open. In November, she won for the first time on the LPGA Tour at the Toto Japan Classic, the win in the co-sanctioned event giving her LPGA membership. Takeda beat Marina Alex with a birdie on the sixth playoff hole after they tied at 15-under 201 in the event that was shortened to 54 holes due to a Tropical Storm. So with that, she earned a LPGA Tour card for 2025.
2025 Notes: She won the Blue Bay LPGA in China, her second LPGA victory in four months. She shot a final-round 64 to win by six shots over Minjee Lee. Was 5th at the Black Desert Championship and T-8th at the Mizuho Americas Open. She finished T-2nd at the U.S. Womenâ??s Open, two shots back of the winner Maja Stark.