What do you get when you name your daughter after America’s space program and dream she’ll accomplish the impossible? You get Nasa Hataoka, a 26-year-old Japanese golfer who has turned that ambitious vision into reality. Born on January 13, 1999, in Kasama, Ibaraki Prefecture, her parents deliberately named her after NASA because they wanted her to “accomplish something that has never been accomplished before.” That prophetic naming proved remarkably accurate when, at just 17 years old, she became both the youngest player and first amateur ever to win the Japan Women’s Open in 2016.
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Standing at only 5 feet 2 inches, Hataoka has proven that physical stature means nothing when talent and determination collide. She currently ranks 44th in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings and has earned over $10.3 million in her career. More impressively, she’s captured six LPGA Tour victories and six more on the LPGA of Japan Tour.
Hataoka didn’t even touch a golf club until she turned 11. Her late start didn’t stop her from dominating as an amateur, though. In 2015, she won the IMG Academy Junior World Championship, the Kanto Junior Championship, and the Faldo Series Asia Championship. The following year, she successfully defended all three titles and added the Ciputra World Junior Championship.
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Then came her historic breakthrough at the 2016 Japan Women’s Open. Teenage Hataoka made headlines across Japan by becoming the youngest winner and first amateur to claim a major tournament on the JLPGA Tour. That same year, she reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. Women’s Amateur, losing to Yuka Saso—ironically, the same player who would later defeat her in a playoff at the 2021 U.S. Women’s Open.
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Turning professional immediately after that historic win, Hataoka earned her LPGA Tour card by finishing 14th at the 2017 Final Qualifying Tournament. Her rookie year proved brutally difficult. She made just nine cuts in 17 LPGA events, finished 140th on the money list with only $37,852, and lost her tour card. Instead of crumbling, Hataoka returned to Q-School and finished first to re-earn her card for 2018.
That comeback mindset defined her breakout 2018 season. She became one of only four multiple winners that year, capturing the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship for her maiden LPGA victory at age 19, then adding the Toto Japan Classic in November. At the 2018 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, she fired a stunning final-round 64 from nine strokes back to force a playoff, though Park Sung-hyun ultimately won.
Hataoka added the Kia Classic in 2019, then came back strong in 2021 with victories at the Marathon LPGA Classic and her second Walmart NW Arkansas Championship title. Her most recent win came at the 2022 DIO Implant LA Open, where she dominated with four rounds in the 60s to win by five strokes. That victory pushed her to a career-high sixth in the world rankings.
Since then, the wins have dried up. Through October 2025, Hataoka has gone more than three years without a victory despite consistent competitive play. She has posted six top-10 finishes in 2025, including a tie for third at the BMW Ladies Championship in October, and has earned $774,400 so far this season.
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USA Today via Reuters
May 30, 2024; Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA; Nasa Hataoka of Japan hits a tee shot on the tenth hole during the first round of the U.S. Women’s Open golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-USA TODAY Sports
The major championship trophy remains frustratingly elusive. She’s finished runner-up twice in majors—both in playoffs. Beyond those heartbreaking near-misses, she’s recorded nine total top-10 finishes in majors. At the 2023 U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach, she produced the tournament’s lowest round with a Saturday 66 that was four strokes better than anyone else that day.
The family behind Japan’s golf prodigy
Behind Hataoka’s impressive career stands a supportive family that carefully divided responsibilities to nurture her talent. Her mother, Hiromi Hataoka, worked as a clerical employee at a golf course in Kasama. That workplace connection gave 11-year-old Nasa her first exposure to golf when she accompanied Hiromi to practice sessions. Hiromi later served as her daughter’s caddie during her amateur years.
Legendary Japanese professional Tsuneyuki “Tommy” Nakajima, who selected Hataoka for the first class of his Hills Golf Tommy Academy during her second year of junior high school, praised her mental makeup. “Her non-hesitant character and ambition to become better at golf helped her build the foundations to play calm on a big stage,” Nakajima noted. In the ledger of illustrious Japanese golfers that includes Torakichi Nakamura, Isao Aoki, and the legendary Hisako Higuchi, Hataoka represents the latest addition.
Her support system extended beyond family once she turned professional. Since 2019, Greg Johnston has carried her bag. Johnston brings extensive LPGA Tour experience, having previously worked with Michelle Wie West and Juli Inkster during a successful 12-year partnership. He’s been caddying professionally since 1986 and is credited with playing a crucial role in Hataoka’s mental game.
Major sponsors also back Hataoka’s career. ABeam Consulting, a global consulting firm based in Japan, serves as her primary sponsor and renewed its partnership in June 2022. Additionally, Hilton Grand Vacations announced her as a brand ambassador in January 2023. For equipment, she uses a full Srixon/Cleveland/Bettinardi setup.
Nasa Hataoka’s journey from the daughter of a golf course employee to a $10.3 million earner with six LPGA victories proves her parents’ ambitious naming choice was prophetic. With six top-10 finishes already in 2025 and multiple major championship near-misses behind her, will the 26-year-old finally break through and accomplish what even her space-program namesake would admire?
