Gemma Dryburgh on course for LPGA Tour Championship after strong title defence in Japan

Gemma Dryburgh looks to have secured a spot in the LPGA’s season-ending CME Group Tour Championship in Florida later this month after producing a strong defence of her TOTO Japan Classic title.

Gemma Dryburgh walks on the 18th hole during the final round of the TOTO Japan Classic at the Taiheiyo Club's Minori Course in Omitama, Ibaraki, Japan. Picture: Yoshimasa Nakano/Getty Images.

The 30-year-old Scot signed off with a brilliant bogey-free seven-under 65 to finish in a share of sixth spot behind home winner Mone Inami at the Taiheiyo Club’s Minori Course in Omitama, Ibaraki.

Dryburgh, who birdied the second, sixth, seventh and ninth going out before adding gains at the 12th, 15th and 17th on the inward journey, picked up just under $62,000 for her 19-under-par total.

Heading into last week’s Maybank Championship in Malaysia, the Solheim Cup player was 70th in the Race to CME Globe Standings before jumping to 60th on the back of trying for sixth in that event and picking up just over $87,00.

That put her right on the cut-off mark for the $7 million season finale at Tiburón Golf Club in Naples the week after next, but, after another timely jump, she is now up to 50th.

It means that, with only next week’s The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican event to come, Dryburgh will almost certainly end the regular phase of the season in the all-important top 60.

Freed Group Women’s Scottish Open champion Celine Boutier tops the standings while Charley Hull, Leona Maguire, Georgia Hall, Linn Grant, Carolota Ciganada, Maja Stark, Esther Henseleit, Jodi Ewart Shadoff, Linnea Strom and Anna Nordqvist are also set to fly the European flag in Florida.

Two others, Perrine Delacour and Madelene Sagstrom, are on the bubble heading into the $3.25 million event being hosted by Annika Sorenstam in Florida.