Miyuu Yamashita is Victorious at the Women's British Open

Japan Forward

12 hours ago

At Royal Porthcawl Golf Club in Wales, Miyuu Yamashita claimed her first LPGA Tour title with a two-stroke victory over Charley Hull and Minami Katsu.
Miyuu Yamashita displays the Women's British Open winner's trophy on August 3, 2025, in Porthcawl, Wales. (©KYODO)
Miyuu Yamashita carded a 2-under 70 in the final round of the Women's British Open to secure her first LPGA Tour title on Sunday, August 3.
A day after her 24th birthday, Yamashita bolstered her title quest with a 3-under 33 on the front nine, including back-to-back birdies on the eighth and ninth holes, at Royal Porthcawl Golf Club. And she held a three-stroke advantage at the midway point of her final round on Sunday in Porthcawl, Wales.
Japan's Minami Katsu and English golfer Charley Hull finished tied for second at 9-under 279. Both women carded 3-under 69s in the fourth round. Miyuu Yamashita tees off during the final round of the Women's British Open. (KYODO)
Yamashita was the overnight leader after the second and third rounds of the tournament, which is also currently known as the AIG Women's Open. Entering the weekend, she was ahead by three strokes over compatriot Rio Takeda. And then, after shooting a 2-over 74, including four bogeys, in the third round, Yamashita, took a one-shot lead into the final day.
The LPGA Tour rookie's consistency in the last round clinched the title, with only one bogey (on the par-4 17th hole) and a trio of birdies. Miyuu Yamashita putts on the 18th green in the final round. (KYODO)
For Yamashita, winning the Women's British Open delivered satisfaction.
"This has been a goal of mine, something I've worked towards my whole life, a dream you could say," she said, according to the LPGA Tour website's tournament recap. It's been the result of hard work every single day, making changes, making improvements, and to be able to do it now and call myself a champion is a very special thing."
Yamashita received a winner's prize of $1,462,500 USD (¥2.16 million JPY). Miyuu Yamashita (KYODO)
In Thursday's first round, Yamashita got off to a solid start with a 68. She then carded a 65 the next day to strengthen her bid for the title.
Although she didn't shoot in the 60s again in the next two rounds, Yamashita worked to make adjustments. That diligence paid off.
"As you say, yesterday I didn't quite have my best stuff," Yamashita told a news conference. "After the [third] round, I spoke to my father, who's my coach, and we went through a few things just in my swing and my game, and I'm really happy with how I made the adjustments today to get the victory."
Yamashita, who tied for fourth at the 2024 Paris Olympics, also spoke about the camaraderie among Japanese golfers on LPGA Tour players and how that bond is meaningful to her.
"It was an amazing feeling for them to stay and celebrate with me, something that was so great for me," Yamashita said after her champagne-soaked celebration. "Also, [it's] just something that I appreciate." Tournament champion Miyuu Yamashita (KYODO)
She continued: "To have so many Japanese players doing so well at the moment is something that provides a motivation for me and keeps me going. For us all to support each other is something that I'm really looking forward to in the future as well."
Yamashita won consecutive JLPGA Tour season titles in 2022 and '23, establishing herself as one of Japan's rising golf stars. Starting in 2021, she's captured 13 titles on the domestic pro tour. Rio Takeda competes in the third round of the Women's British Open on August 2. (KYODO)
Takeda and South Korea's A Lim Kim finished four strokes behind Yamashita at 7-under 281 to tie for fourth.
"I wanted to get a few more birdies today, so that's disappointing but I was able to hang in there and make pars so I'm glad," Takeda told reporters after carding a 71 on Sunday. She had a pair of birdies.
Added Takeda, "I wasn't particularly focused on winning, so I wasn't that nervous. The wind was strong today, so I was able to hit good distances on the follow-through."
Takeda, 22, also said she entered this year's Women's British Open with a sense of familiarity.
"Last year was my first time at the AIG Women's Open and I found the strong winds difficult," stated Takeda, who triumphed in the Blue Bay LPGA event in China in March. "But this year I was able to play my own golf for four days and identify my weaknesses, so I was glad."
Mao Saigo, the winner of The Chevron Championship (one of five women's golf majors) in April, was 11th at 3-under 285.
For Saigo, the world's 10th-ranked female golfer, the four days in Wales was marked by an up-and-down performance. She opened with a 69, followed by a 76. Saigo had her best performance in Saturday's round (4-under 68), then closed with a 72.
Also for Japan, Nasa Hataoka and Ayaka Furue tied for 33rd at 2-over 290. Minami Katsu watches her first tee shot of the final round. (KYODO)
Joint runner-up Katsu, who joined the LPGA Tour in 2023, made four birdies in the final round. She closed out the weekend with a birdie on the par-5 18th hole.
Katsu earned her third top-10 finish of the 2025 season. She's made the cut in 13 of 16 starts.
After her best tournament of the year, the Kagoshima native reflected on how she played at Royal Porthcawl.
"I think this position in a major is good," Katsu told a news conference. "I'm usually in a good position on the final day, but I don't play well. So playing good golf in a major gives me a lot of confidence."
She then said, "I think it will help me get better in the future, so I think it was a really good week."
In the third round, Katsu had her best score of the Women's British Open ― a 7-under 65. Carding a 69 in the fourth round was OK, she said the next day.
"Today, I just focused on my own game, did what I do and felt like I'd be lucky if I could finish in the top ranks," Katsu told reporters on Sunday.
"I had a bogey at the beginning and was in a bad flow on the fourth hole, but then I hit a super par after that and once I realized I still had a good flow, I was able to get into a pretty good rhythm."
She added: "My shots weren't as consistent as yesterday, but I think I played with a really good mindset throughout the round."
In addition to Miyuu Yamashita's title-winning feat on Sunday, Ayako Okamoto and Hinako Shibuno won this tournament in 1984 and 2019, respectively. The event became an LPGA major in 2001.
Author: Ed Odeven
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