Japanese golfers dominate first day of AIG Women's Open

The Herald Scotland

31-07-2025

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.