Japan's Rio Takeda, Eri Okayama in command at Women's Open

Straits Times

19 hours ago

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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.
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'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