Miyu Yamashita leads Rio Takeda by three shots heading into weekend at Women's British Open

Boston Globe

5 days ago

Woad was on the cusp of contention until a triple bogey on the par-4 16th.
Advertisement
'There was a lot more good in it than bad,' Woad said. 'Played really well for 17 holes, just that one hole cost me a bit.'
Yamashita was bogey-free and did most of her damage with four birdies in a five-hole stretch around the turn as she took advantage of an early start before stronger wind arrived.
'I didn't make any particular adjustments to my swing, but the wind was strong, so I think shots are important, as well as club selection and the direction I aim at the target,' Yamashita said. 'So things like that are important, so I played while keeping in mind the image I've been practicing so far.'
Can anyone catch Miyu Yamashita? 👀
Three shots ahead at Royal Porthcawl but there's still plenty of golf left to play. ⛳
The chase is on.
— AIG Women's Open (@AIGWomensOpen)
Takeda, whose two LPGA Tour titles include the Toto Japan Classic last year before she was a member, was slowed by a pair of bogeys. Takeda atoned for that with a superb approach into the par-5 ninth that settled within tap-in range for eagle. She shot 69.
Advertisement
'I was able to play calmly today, and I hope to focus on my game and play calmly again tomorrow,' Takeda said.
Yamashita, who celebrates her 24th birthday on Saturday, was at 11-under 133.
Chiara Tamburlini of Switzerland and Pajaree Anannarukarn of Thailand each shot 69 and were tied for third at 4-under 140, along with American Lindy Duncan (70) and Laura Fuenfstueck of Germany, who had a 71.
The cut was at 2-over 146. Brooke Henderson of Canada was right on the cut line until missing a 4-foot par putt on the windblown 17th, and then failing to make birdie on the par-5 closing hole. Also missing the cut were world No. 4 Ruoning Yin (77), Rose Zhang (76) and
Yani Tseng of Taiwan, a two-time Women's British Open champion and former No. 1 player in the world, shot 73 and made the cut in a major for the first time in eight years. It was her first made cut in an LPGA event since the Swinging Skirts LPGA Taiwan Championship in 2018.
Korda remains the No. 1 player in women's golf despite not winning this year, and she now faces a tall order with a nine-shot deficit for the last 36 holes.
'Honestly didn't really capitalize on anything in the calmer conditions on the front nine, then kind of got really windy on the back,' Korda said. 'Made a few more mistakes but bounced back with some birdies. Overall, I'm not going to complain with even par.'
Advertisement
Watch Nelly Korda's second round in less than 60 seconds ⏱️
— AIG Women's Open (@AIGWomensOpen)
Woad made the best run at the Japanese duo until one swing and one nasty lie cost her. She had a 3-wood for her second shot into a strong wind on the par-4 16th. It sailed to the right into thick grass. Her first hack moved the golf ball only a few inches. She had to take a penalty shot for an unplayable lie, got that one on the green and two-putted for a triple bogey.
She closed with two pars for a 70, a score that otherwise would seem satisfactory.
'I'd certainly take it now, but not when I was standing on the 16th tee,' Woad said with a smile. 'Yeah, just got to try to play well over the weekend. It's pretty packed, so I can move up a bit.'
Rockland native Megan Khang is among the group of nine players at 2 under and will be paired with Woad in the third round.
Everyone is chasing Yamashita, who led the Japan LPGA money list in 2022 and 2023 while winning five times in each of those seasons. She also finished one shot out of a playoff for the bronze medal in the Paris Olympics last year.
For now, she is thinking only about keeping her rhythm in the wind.
'I haven't particularly worried about expected scores until now. I'm always thinking about competing for a high ranking in each tournament, and I just played with my day in mind,' Yamashita said. 'So I'm glad that my score and ranking worked out.'