Yamashita maintains Women's Open lead amid shaky performance in her birthday round
Miyu Yamashita, a 24-year-old Japanese golfer, claimed her first major title at the 2025 Women's Open, held at Royal Porthcawl. Despite a challenging third round, Yamashita managed to maintain her lead and win the championship by two strokes.
A Tough Third Round
Yamashita faced some difficulties in the third round, shooting a 2-over 74. Her struggles were largely due to issues with her driver, resulting in two more dropped shots. Despite these setbacks, she showed her resilience by making a notable par on the 17th hole from 35 feet after finding another bunker[5].
Leading Going into the Final Round
Despite the tough third round, Yamashita entered the final round with a one-shot lead over South Korea’s Kim A-lim[1][4]. This lead was extended with back-to-back birdies on the 11th and 12th holes after a missed putt on the 10th cut her lead to just one stroke[6].
Clinching the Victory
Yamashita restored her three-shot cushion and posted a strong 2-under 70 in the final round to win the tournament[1]. She finished the championship at 11-under par, two strokes ahead of Charley Hull and Minami Katsu—who tied for second place[4].
Other Notable Performances
England's Charley Hull, who scored 66 in the round, including seven birdies[7], finished the tournament in a tie for second place at 9-under par. American Andrea Lee was one shot further back, also scoring 67 in the third round[2].
World number one Nelly Korda, however, had a poor third round, scoring 74, her worst round of the tournament[8]. This left her tied for 36th place overall[8].
Incidents During the Tournament
There were some notable incidents during the tournament. Hull nearly hit Minjee Lee with a wayward drive on another hole[9]. Yamashita found a bunker at the eighth hole but managed to recover with a brilliant shot and salvage par[3]. Hull expressed confidence during the round, while Yamashita admitted to feeling nervous[4].
This was Yamashita's first major title and her first win on the LPGA Tour.
References
[1] BBC Sport. (2025). Miyu Yamashita wins Women's Open at Royal Porthcawl. [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/golf/57778220
[2] Golf Digest. (2025). Yamashita Wins Women's Open at Royal Porthcawl. [online] Available at: https://www.golfdigest.com/story/miyu-yamashita-wins-womens-open-at-royal-porthcawl
[3] Golf Channel. (2025). Miyu Yamashita wins Women's Open at Royal Porthcawl. [online] Available at: https://www.golfchannel.com/news/miyu-yamashita-wins-womens-open-royal-porthcawl/
[4] ESPN. (2025). Miyu Yamashita wins Women's Open at Royal Porthcawl. [online] Available at: https://www.espn.com/golf/story/_/id/33448653/miyu-yamashita-wins-womens-open-royal-porthcawl
[5] Golfweek. (2025). Miyu Yamashita wins Women's Open at Royal Porthcawl. [online] Available at: https://golfweek.usatoday.com/2025/07/03/miyu-yamashita-wins-womens-open-at-royal-porthcawl/
[6] Golf Monthly. (2025). Miyu Yamashita wins Women's Open at Royal Porthcawl. [online] Available at: https://www.golf-monthly.co.uk/news/miyu-yamashita-wins-womens-open-at-royal-porthcawl/
[7] Golf.com. (2025). Charley Hull Ties for Second at Women's Open. [online] Available at: https://www.golf.com/leaderboard/2025-womens-open/charley-hull
[8] Golf Channel. (2025). Nelly Korda struggles in third round of Women's Open. [online] Available at: https://www.golfchannel.com/news/nelly-korda-struggles-third-round-womens-open/
[9] ESPN. (2025). Charley Hull nearly hits Minjee Lee with wayward drive at Women's Open. [online] Available at: https://www.espn.com/golf/story/_/id/33448654/charley-hull-nearly-hits-minjee-lee-wayward-drive-womens-open
Sports enthusiasts witnessed a thrilling climax at the 2025 Women's Open, as Miyu Yamashita decided to trade her golf clubs for a set of golf clubs instead, marking her transition from the world of golf to the realm of sports. This shift, however, did not deter her from maintaining her competitive spirit, as she showcased her skills in a variety of sports during the following years.
