Nasa Hataoka

She was named Nasa after the American space program because her mother wanted her to accomplish a lot and dream big. Hataoka started playing golf at the age of 11. Won the IMG World Junior Championships in 2015 and 2016 at Torrey Pines in San Diego.
She was a member of the Japan National team in 2015. Made it to the quarter-finals of the 2016 U.S. Women's Amateur, losing to Yuka Saso 1 up.
She won the Japan Women's Open in 2016 and 2017. In 2016, she became the youngest winner of the Japan Women's Open and also became the first amateur to win a major on the Japan LPGA Tour. In 2017, she beat Jiyai Shin by 8 shots to become the tournament's first back-to-back winner since Hisako Higuchi won in 1976 and 1977.
She first earned her LPGA card for 2017 by finishing T-14th at 2016 Q School as a 17-year-old amateur (youngest in the field). She turned 18 one month later and joined the Tour as a professional.
2017 Notes: Played in 17 LPGA events and made nine cuts. Her best finish was T-15th at the Cambia Portland Classic, she finished 140th on the money list. Had to return to LPGA Q-School and won, regaining her card. After the LPGA Tour finished, she played in 7 events in Japan. Not only did she win the Japan Women's Open, the week before, she won the Miyagi TV Cup Dunlop Ladies Open. Runner-up at the Nobuta Group Masters and Mitsubishi Electric Ladies Golf Tournament.
2018 Notes: Played in 24 LPGA events making 21 cuts with 11, top-10 finishes. Had a breakout season, winning twice on the LPGA Tour and finishing 5th on the money list with $1,454,261 and third in CME points. She credited her success to her mom, Hiromi, who traveled with her and served as her personal chef. She won the NW Arkansas Championship for her 1st LPGA victory. Hataoka shot a final-round 63 to finish with a tournament-record 21-under 192 to beat Austin Ernst by 6 shots. A week later, Hataoka was T-2nd in the KPMG Women's PGA Championship, being eliminated on the first hole of a playoff eventually won by Sung Hyun Park. It was her second runner-up finish of the year, earlier she was T-2nd at the Kingsmill Invitational, losing in a playoff to Ariya Jutanugarn. She finished 2nd in the Japan Women's Open, 3 shots back of winner So Yeon Ryu. Hataoka had won the tournament the previous two years. She won the Toto Japan Classic for her 2nd win of the season. She began Sunday 4 shots back of Minjee Lee but shot a final round 67 to win by 2 shots in her homeland of Japan. The win was also official on the Japan LPGA Tour. She was a member of the Japan team in the UL International Crown and went 2-0-1 in the matches.
2019 Notes: Played in 20 LPGA Tour events making 16 cuts with six top-ten finishes. Was 18th on the money list with $917,273 and 14th on the CME points list. With rounds of 64-67 on the weekend won the KIA Classic for her third LPGA Victory, beating Jin Young Ko, Sung Hyun Park, Inbee Park, Azahara Munoz, and Danielle Kang by 3 shots. Finished T-2nd at the Pure Silk Championship, 2 shots back of winner Bronte Law. She was T-2nd at the Meijer LPGA Classic, a shot back of winner Brooke Henderson. Was T-5th at the CP Women's Open, T-4th at the Cambia Portland Classic, and T-3rd at the Buick LPGA Shanghai, three shots back of winner Danielle Kang.
2020 Notes: Played in 12 LPGA Tour events making 12 cuts with five top-ten finishes. She was T-2nd at the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions, losing to Gaby Lopez on the 7th extra hole of a playoff that extended into Monday morning. . A week later was 2nd again at the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio, one shot back of winner Madelene Sagstrom. Hataoka missed a 3-foot putt on the last hole Sunday that would have forced a playoff. She was 4th at the ShopRite Classic; the next week was T-3rd at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship. She also had a T-7th at the ANA Inspiration. She returned home to Japan and finished T-3rd at the Toto Japan Open on the Japan LPGA.
2021 Notes: Played in 21 LPGA events, making 16 cuts and finishing a career-high third on the money list with $1,901,081. Had five top-10 finishes, including two wins and two 2nds, and was 10th on the CME points list. Her victories came at the Marathon Classic and the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship. She was second in the U.S. Women's Open, losing a playoff to Yuka Saso after they tied at 4-under 280. Hataoka and Saso remained tied after the two-hole aggregate playoff, and Saso won with a birdie on the first sudden-death hole. Hataoka shot 61 in the first round of the Marathon Classic and held on to win the rain-shortened, 54-hole tournament by six strokes. She shot a tournament 54-hole record score of 19-under 194 and was leading after three rounds when the final round was canceled due to heavy rain. She qualified for the Tokyo Olympics as a member of Japan's women's team and finished T-9 in the Games in her homeland. Won the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship for her second win of 2021 and the fifth of her career. She finished with rounds of 65-65-67=197 to beat Eun-Hee Ji and Minjee Lee by one stroke. She made just two bogeys in the 54-hole event, her week including a pair of aces. She made a hole-in-one on the 11th hole in the first round and the sixth hole in the second round. She was second in the CME Group Tour Championship, shooting 64-64 on the weekend to finish one stroke back of winner Jin Young Ko.
2022 Notes: Played in 25 LPGA Tour events, making 24 cuts with seven top-ten finishes. She was 13th on the money list with $1,402,138 in earnings and was 13th in CME points. She won the DIO Implant LA Open for her sixth LPGA victory and her first top-10 finish of the season. Hataoka was tied with Jin Young Ko after 36 holes, then shot 67 Saturday (to Ko's 72) and took a four-stroke lead into the final round over Hannah Green. She shot another 67 Sunday to win by five over Green. Went on to finish T-6th at the Cognizant Founders Cup, T-6th at the ShopRite LPGA Classic, and T-5th at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship. Shot 68-68 over the weekend at the Trust Golf Women's Scottish Open to finish 7th, six shots back of winner Ayaka Furue. Was T-7th at the AIG Women's British Open and Dana Open. Finished the season at the CME Group Tour Championship, finishing T-41st.
2023 Notes: She started her season with a 5th at the Hilton Tournament of Champions, seven shots back of the winner Brooke M. Henderson. She was T-7th at the DIO Implant LA Open and T-8th at the Cognizant Founders Cup. She was a member of Japan?s team at the Hanwha Lifeplus International Crown and was 0-3 in the matches. Finished T-4th at the U.S. Women?s Open. She was the 54-hole leader, but shot 76 in the final round to finish six back of winner Allisen Corpuz. She was T-3rd at the Amundi Evian Championship, seven shots back of the winner Celine Boutier.