Charley Hull's major wait goes on as she pushes Miyu Yamashita all the way at Women's Open

The Guardian

4 days ago

Charley Hull is due high praise for at least making this interesting. It may be of little consolation to the English golfer as her wait for a maiden major win goes on but Hull's surge was the only thing that ever looked like halting Miyu Yamashita's Porthcawl procession. What an afternoon of stirring drama this quickly became on the stunning links, which should be rewarded with more high-profile events before too long. To Hull, plenty of plaudits for such a swashbuckling display.
Yamashita eventually prevailed, by two, at 11 under par. The Women's Open was denied a British winner for the first time since Georgia Hall lifted the trophy at Royal Lytham & St Anne's in 2018. Still, Hull must feel she is closer than ever to winning one of her sport's biggest prizes. She now has four second places in majors.
'Coming into this week I didn't think I was going to make the cut,' Hull admitted. 'That's the truth of it. I wasn't hitting it very well. I couldn't prepare as well as I wanted to because I was poorly. I obviously collapsed three times in the round at the Evian and then I still wasn't feeling well until Sunday last week. So I think I did pretty well and considering my mindset coming into it. I'm pretty proud of myself.
'At the end of the day, it's just a game. That's what I think about and I enjoyed it out there. I just love that adrenaline feeling. It's so good, it's like a massive hit.'
Minami Katsu tied Hull's aggregate but was never a threat to the winner. Hull sat 11 adrift after 36 holes of this major. With three front-nine birdies in round four, Hull closed to within one of the leaderboard's summit. What happened next turned the Women's Open back in Yamashita's favour. As she delivered birdies at the 8th and 9th, Hull could only par the 9th and 10th. The leader's advantage was three.
Hull displayed typical tenacity over the closing stretch. She had promised to play like a kid, to attack every hole and stayed true to her word. Her iron into the par three 12th was laser-like, setting up a birdie. The 29-year-old picked up another shot at the 14th, outstandingly so after finding thick grass from the tee. Was Yamashita now feeling the heat? A drive into the bunker at the par-five 13th, followed by a tame greenside chip, suggested so. Yamashita steadied herself and jabbed back at Hull with a wonderful, converted par putt from long range.
The final, key moments were still to arrive. Hull hit into sand from the 16th tee. She could barely advance the ball far from there before overshooting the putting surface with her third. Hull bravely rescued a bogey, just as Yamashita slammed home an 8ft par putt two holes behind. Yamashita was two clear with four to play. Another Hull dropped shot at the penultimate hole meant Yamashita doing likewise made no material difference.
Yamashita is the third player from Japan to win this tournament but the second since it was afforded major status. Her swing is so stable one wonders how she can ever miss. A putting wobble towards the end of round three proved the exception to Yamashita's 2025 Women's Open rule. That she withstood everything Hull threw at her on a gusty afternoon says so much for the new champion's mentality. 'To win such a historic tournament in front of all these amazing fans is such an incredible feeling,' said Yamashita. Victory came the day after her 24th birthday.
South Korea's Kim A-lim and Japan's Rio Takeda shared fourth at seven under. Lottie Woad's tournament closed with a 71 and four-under total for a top-10 finish. Woad will have learned a lot in Wales, including what it is like to play under such a burden of expectation. Victory at last weekend's Scottish Open on her first professional start meant she was in uncharted territory here. She will relish settling into the United States and the LPGA Tour over the coming weeks.
'I don't think it affected my golf but there was definitely a lot more attention, a lot more eyes on me,' Woad said. 'I feel like I handled it pretty well overall and was just sticking to my game, just trying to focus on the preparation really and not let it distract me too much. It was a pretty good week overall, it was pretty solid.'