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Straits Times
4 hours ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
Japan's Rio Takeda, Eri Okayama in command at Women's Open
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Rio Takeda of Japan is vying for her first Major after finishing in a tie for second at the US Women's Open. PORTHCAWL – Rio Takeda and Eri Okayama of Japan shot matching rounds of 67 to take the lead after one round of the AIG Women's Open in Porthcawl, Wales on July 31. The duo are five under after one trip around Royal Porthcawl, and Miyu Yamashita made it an all-Japanese top three on the leaderboard as she turned in a four-under 68. Behind them is a 10-way tie at three under that features three more Japanese players – Chisato Iwai, Shiho Kuwaki and Mao Saigo, who won the Chevron Championship earlier this year. Takeda is vying for her first Major title after finishing in a tie for second at the US Women's Open in June. 'I had a double bogey today, but I was able to quickly change my mindset and it was good that I was able to do that,' she said. 'Other than that, I was able to save par and make some birdie putts, so I played very consistently.' Okayama's score was particularly impressive as she has been troubled by a back injury in recent months. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. World Trump modifies reciprocal tariffs ahead of deadline; rate on Singapore likely to remain at 10% Singapore PM Wong to deliver National Day message on Aug 8 Singapore Data breach involving 147,000 Cycle & Carriage Singapore customer records under probe Singapore NUS launches S'pore's first nursing practice doctorate to meet evolving healthcare needs Business CAD probing Tokenize Xchange operator; firm's director charged with fraudulent trading Singapore More than $1.7 million lost in scams using fraudulent mobile apps Singapore Man charged over kicking woman's face in Teck Whye Lane flat, leading to her death Life The Projector leaves Cineleisure, returns to Golden Mile Tower 'I've hurt my back a few times this year, within the last month or so, and since then I've had to take a break from domestic tournaments,' she said. 'I've barely been able to practise up until this point. I never expected to finish in this position.' Takeda shot her 67 despite committing a double bogey at the par-5 ninth, a hole where other players were making birdie or even eagle. She made seven birdies, including at four of her last seven holes. It was a similar story for Okayama, who is ranked No. 139 in the world and whose only previous wins have come in Japan. Her lone blemish was a bogey on her first hole, but she responded by making five birdies on the rest of the front nine before getting one final birdie to drop at No. 17. Yamashita's round was highlighted by a four-birdie run at Nos. 4-7, followed by eagle at No. 9. The two star players who commanded the most attention were world No. 1 Nelly Korda and British phenom Lottie Woad. Korda, still looking for her first win of any kind in 2025, is just three back of the lead following a two-under 70. Several other notable names are tied at 70, including world No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand and former Major winners Ayaka Furue of Japan, Minjee Lee of Australia and Koreans Amy Yang and A Lim Kim. Then there was Woad, whose even-par 72 featured four birdies and four bogeys. 'It was a bit mixed,' she said of her round. 'Had a good amount of birdies; just few poor bogeys on the front nine that could have definitely been avoided.' In men's golf, Joel Dahmen, fighting to make the season-ending playoffs, fired a nine-under 61 to seize a one-shot lead in the Wyndham Championship in North Carolina. He arrived at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro ranked 101st in the tour's FedExCup standings. The top 70 advance to the play-offs that start next week with the St. Jude Championship. Dahmen had a one-stroke lead over Sweden's Alex Noren, whose eight-under round was highlighted by an eagle at the par-five fifth hole. REUTERS, AFP
The Herald Scotland
14 hours ago
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Japanese golfers dominate first day of AIG Women's Open
They seemed to be so comfortable in this corner of south Wales, you half expected them to be singing a jolly rendition of 'We'll keep a welcome in the hillside' by Harry Secombe as they trotted into the recording hut. Rio Takeda, joint runner-up in the US Women's Open earlier this season, and Eri Okayama were perched at the summit after five-under 67s left them one clear. Mai Sago, a major winner in this year's Chevron Championship, bolstered Japanese numbers in the upper echelons with a 69. It's almost 50 years now since the celebrated Chako Higuchi blazed a trail when she won the 1977 LPGA Championship and became Japan's first major champion. She earned a ticker-tape parade down the boulevards of Tokyo. When the 'Smiling Cinderella', Hinako Shibuno, won the Women's Open at Woburn in 2019, she was almost given the keys to the Golden Pavillion. In between those pioneering conquests, the prolific Ayako Okamoto triumphed on these shores in 1984 when she romped to an 11-shot win in the Women's Open before it had been elevated to a major championship. A Japanese success this week in Wales would no doubt generate another giddy frenzy in this golf mad nation. Okayama had been complaining of a gammy back ahead of the final women's major of the season, but she put that behind her to set the early standard. A bogey on the first possibly had her feeling a little twinge in her dorsal but a bag of six birdies had the 29-year-old walking tall. 'I've hurt my back a few times this year and I was worried because I hadn't been able to practice much until last week,' she said. 'I never expected to finish in this position." While the Japanese assault intensified, the eyes of most of south Wales became focussed on the current sensation in women's golf, Lottie Woad. Fresh from her win in her first event as a professional in last weekend's Women's Scottish Open, the 21-year-old arrived at Porthcawl with so much expectation on her shoulders, she just about had to carry it on a hod. A level-par 72 left he former world amateur No 1 five shots off the pace but she was happy enough with a spirited display in testing conditions. 'It was one of those rounds that could have definitely got away from me,' said Woad, who birdied her final hole to walk off with a bit more of a spring in her step. 'I am happy how I hung in there and got a decent round together. I knew I had to get back to even.' Woad's former Curtis Cup colleague, Mimi Rhodes, was the best of the Brits after a 69. Rhodes made a spectacular start to life on the Ladies European Tour by winning three of her first four events this season and her debut in the AIG Women's Open was pretty decent too. 'I've had a few up and down weeks in the last few weeks, so I'm really happy to be striking it well and putting at my best again,' said Rhodes after a round that was illuminated by an eagle on the ninth. Local hopeful Darcey Harry, who is a member of the host club, gave the galleries plenty to cheer as she posted a two-under 70. 'I didn't think I would come off with two-under par today,' she admitted. 'Not too sure why. I think I was just super nervous.' Harry finished alongside the world No 1, Nelly Korda, with Georgia Hall, the 2018 champion at Lytham, a shot further back. Charley Hull experienced a topsy-turvy 73 and was three-over after three holes. She rallied with five birdies in six holes but four bogeys in a row on the back-nine halted her recovery and she finished alongside defending champion, Lydia Ko. Aberdeen's Gemma Dryburgh, the only Scot in the field this week, stumbled home on the back nine and had to settle for a four-over 76. The 32-year-old, a winner on the LPGA Tour in 2022, had been making steady progress at level-par through 12 holes. Her round began to unravel, though, with three bogeys on the spin from the 13th before another leaked shot on the last completed a damaging inward half of 40. 'There were a couple of course management decisions I think we got wrong, and I was disappointed with that,' sighed Dryburgh in a brief summing up of a trying day.
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
Nelly Korda marvels at Lottie Woad's 'absolutely amazing' game
Lottie Woad of England plays her shot from the eighth tee during the third round of the US Women's Open. LONDON – Lottie Woad's meteoric rise to golf stardom has impressed many of her fellow competitors, including world No. 1 Nelly Korda. The two were paired together at last week's Scottish Open, which Woad won by three strokes in her professional debut. The world's No. 1-ranked amateur just two weeks ago, Woad already has shot up to No. 24 in the Rolex World Rankings. Korda was asked about Woad's game, which she called 'absolutely amazing.' 'I was very impressed with her composure, her process,' she said on Tuesday ahead of this week's AIG Women's Open at Royal Porthcawl in Wales. 'When it comes to her shot routine, especially under pressure and in the heat of the moment, sometimes people seem to fidget and doubt themselves. But she stuck to it, stuck to her process every single time. 'I think that's one of the main things that I noticed is how mature she is for her age and how comfortable she was in the heat of the moment.' Woad, 21, arrived on the LPGA Tour after a stellar career at Florida State, and accepted her tour membership after tying for third at the Evian Championship earlier this month. 'I feel good obviously,' she said Tuesday. 'I don't feel too different, to be honest. I got a lot of confidence from the last few – the last month really. Just trying to continue to ride that.' The Englishwoman is paired with former world No. 1 and defending champion Lydia Ko and 2023 champion Lilia Vu for the first two rounds this week. 'I think there's a little bit more experience under her belt than what people probably give her credit for,' Ko said. 'But when I've seen the coverage or how she composes herself, she doesn't seem like she rushes into things or gets like overly emotional. I'm sure that's going to help her with that transition as well.' Korda will be playing in another marquee group along with Ariya Jutanugarn and Angel Yin. Jenno Thitikul, who is nipping at Korda's heels for that No. 1 ranking, is paired with Minjee Lee and Charley Hull. Korda was in contention last week before settling for a tie for fifth following a 71 on Sunday. She is still seeking her first victory of 2025 but did finish second at last year's Women's Open and celebrated her 27th birthday on Monday. 'New week, new golf course, new conditions,' she said. 'My goal is to prepare the best that I can, enjoy myself and, hopefully, be in contention. And then kind of enjoy the ride because, as many highs as I've had, I've had a lot of lows, too, with this sport, but I still come back and I still want to experience those highs in all the different circumstances, different golf courses, different conditions. 'And just continue to grow my love for the game.' Meanwhile in men's golf, Ben Griffin looks to rebound from missing the cut in each of his last two tournaments when he tees off at the Wyndham Championship on Thursday. Griffin, a former University of North Carolina standout, admitted on Tuesday that he relishes playing in the tournament at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro. And with good reason, considering the former mortgage broker finished 14-under and in fourth place in 2022 before tying for seventh at 12 under in 2024. 'Yeah, this is one of my favorite events of the year, just a lot of family and friends close by. So really excited to come in this week with a lot more freedom than last kind of couple years being on the bubble of the playoffs,' he said. Griffin, 29, is 17th in the rankings on the strength of his two wins earlier this season. He combined with Andrew Novak to win April's Zurich Classic of New Orleans team competition before capturing the Charles Schwab Challenge in May. REUTERS
Newsweek
23-07-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
Nelly Korda Indifferent to Eventual Women's Masters, Has Other Priorities in Mind
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Women's golf recognizes the women's versions of three of the four men's majors as major championships. As for the fourth, the iconic Masters Tournament, there has been a fair share of talk about creating a women's version, although it has never materialized. However, World No. 1 Nelly Korda doesn't see the need for it. Korda spoke on the subject from Dundonald Links, where she will be playing her inaugural Scottish Women's Open starting Thursday. Naturally, Korda isn't opposed to playing specifically at Augusta National Golf Club, but rather has other priorities in mind. "I think we have our own, great, historic events that we as a tour capitalize on," Korda said, according to the transcripts of her pre-tournament press conference. "It's hard to compare. I mean, if you continuously compare yourself to other sports, other tours, you kind of never grow, and having something of your own is really important to the LPGA, and I think we all have that out here." According to the LPGA's official website, Korda had the opportunity to play at Augusta National in 2022, one of the few active players to do so. She was recently joined in that group by LPGA Hall of Famer Lydia Ko. US' Nelly Korda reacts during the final round of the Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club, in Evian-Les-Bains, central eastern France, on July 13, 2025. US' Nelly Korda reacts during the final round of the Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club, in Evian-Les-Bains, central eastern France, on July 13, 2025. ALEX MARTIN/AFP/Getty Images Nelly Korda is Not Wrong About LPGA Historic Events There's no doubt that Nelly Korda is right when she says that the LPGA's schedule includes events of enormous history and prestige. Among its major championships is the US Women's Open, founded way back in 1949. The Women's PGA Championship celebrated its 70th anniversary this season, while the Chevron Championship and the Women's Open have been held since 1972 and 1976, respectively. The youngest major is the Evian Championship, which is a respectable 34 years old, although it has only been considered a major championship since 2013. Aside from the major championships, there are also other long-standing tournaments that attract a number of the world's best players each year. One of them is precisely the Women's Scottish Open, which has been held since 1986. The current edition will feature four players from the top 10 in the world rankings and 14 from the top 25. Other similar tournaments include the KPMC Women's Open, which has been held since 1973 and even held the status of a major championship for several years. Although not sanctioned by the LPGA Tour, the Women's Australian Open, founded in 1974, is another notable example. Augusta National Golf Club, host of the Masters Tournament, already organizes a women's tournament, the Augusta National Women's Amateur. It has also accepted several women as members, including LPGA legend Annika Sorenstam. More Golf: Tiger Woods Looks Fit Following Son Charlie at US Junior Amateur
The National
23-07-2025
- Health
- The National
Charley Hull aims to be fighting fit at Women's Scottish Open
Ahead of this week's ISPS Handa Women's Scottish Open at Dundonald Links, Hull went into so much detail about her recent virus, the golf writers could've scribbled an authoritative essay on the subject for The Lancet medical journal. It was no laughing matter, of course. The effects of her ailment caused her to collapse during the opening round of the Amundi Evian Championship earlier this month and led to her withdrawal from the women's major. Cold sweats, aching joints, dizziness, a temperature that was through the roof, low blood pressure? You name it, Hull had it. 'I was on my 12th hole and in the bunker and I had to sit down for a minute because my eyesight went and my hearing went,' explained the 29-year-old. 'I got up, hit my bunker shot, finished the hole then walked to the next tee. I called the medics and before I hit my tee shot, my knees gave way and I collapsed. 'I got back up, hit my shot then walked off the tee and I don't really remember anything after that. My caddie said my eyes rolled to the back of my head and I was out for over a minute. 'Every time I stood up, I fainted. It was scary. A security guard and the medic caught me just before I was about to hit my head on a concrete slab. That's why I had to get stretchered out.' Hull looked in reasonable fettle as she blethered away to the media at Dundonald although the Solheim Cup mainstay reckons she's still only '80 per cent' fit. 'I'll take my time out there this week,' added Hull, who finished fifth at Dundonald 12 months ago. 'You probably won't see me strolling 30 yards ahead of everyone like I usually do. I'll probably be 30 yards behind everyone, but I'll get it done. 'It's been a bit frustrating. I was practising last week, and it felt like all the feelings had gone out of my swing. "The best way to describe it would be like when you have a hangover and the next day your hand-eye coordination is out.' Being devout disciples of the temperance movement, the golf scribes wouldn't know anything about that, Charley. Anyway, Hull is here and ready for an assault in a domestic showpiece that has attracted another terrific field. The line-up is headlined by the world No 1, Nelly Korda, who is competing in the Women's Scottish Open for the first time. A warm welcome? 'I'm cold,' shivered the Florida resident with a wry smile. Or was it a grimace? After a barnstorming 2024 campaign, which saw her win seven times during a glory-laden campaign, Korda is still seeking a breakthrough this season. 'Obviously, I would've loved to have lifted a couple of trophies by now,' said Korda, who has two seconds in 2025 including a joint runner-up finish at the US Women's Open. 'But it's golf. You never know what's going to happen.' Korda is only 26 but has been out on the tour for almost a decade. She's not quite ready for the senior circuit but the years do hurtle by. 'I definitely feel like a bit of a veteran out here,' added the two-time major champion. 'I see some girls who are born in 2004, 2003 and I'm like, 'oh, my gosh'. 'But I'm still enjoying it as much as I was in my rookie year.' For Scottish rookie, Hannah Darling, the journey is just beginning. The 21-year-old, who accumulated a vast haul of silverware in the amateur scene, confirmed her move into the paid ranks the other day and makes her professional debut here at Dundonald. Her Curtis Cup team-mate, Lottie Woad, also makes her first start as a pro and will be hoping it's business as usual. Woad's performances in professional events while still an amateur have been sensational. She won the Irish Open on the Ladies European Tour by six shots at the start of July and flirted with major glory at the Evian Championship before finishing third. Woad's feats have certainly given Darling plenty of food for thought. 'Lottie is incredible,' said Darling of her GB&I sparring partner. 'But the really cool thing for me is that I feel she is not far away from where I'm at. "She does a lot of things really well but, at the same time, she doesn't do other things any better than I do. It makes me feel confident about the next step.' Darling will be hoping to step out in style at Dundonald.
