Japan's Iwai wins first LPGA title
Heading into the final round at El Camaleón Golf Course at Mayakoba one shot behind 54-hole leader Jenny Bae of the United States, Iwai quickly turned what could have been an exciting finish into a Sunday romp.
The 22-year-old Japanese player seized the lead with a first-hole birdie as Bae made bogey. Four birdies in a row from Holes 3 to 6 saw Iwai surge further ahead, and she never looked back.
Iwai's closing six-under-par 66 gave her a 72-hole aggregate of 12-under-par 276 (68-74-68-66), while Bae hung on for second place on 6-under-par 282 (69-69-71-73) following a final round 73.
Korean Haeji Kang was third on 5-under-par 283, one shot clear of compatriots Jenny Shin, Somi Lee and Hye-Jin Choi, China's Weiwei Zhang, and Sweden's Linn Grant.
'I just focused on my routine and stayed calm. No matter how many birdies I made today and how far ahead I was, my mindset didn't change. I just kept thinking of trying to make the next birdie and trying to stay positive,' said Iwai, who is the third rookie to win on the LPGA Tour this season.
This is the first time in 10 years that the LPGA Tour has seen three rookie victories before the end of May. Iwai is the 12th different winner on tour this season, pocketing US$375,000 (RM1.58m) for her efforts.
An eight-time winner on the Japan LPGA Tour, Iwai finished second at last year's LPGA Final Qualifying to earn her LPGA Tour membership for the 2025 season. Her twin sister Akie is also a rookie on the LPGA Tour and finished tied 16th in Mexico on 2-under-par.
Malaysia's Ashley Lau, who got into the field through her Epson Tour status, finished tied 32nd on one-over-par 289 (71-73-71-74).
The LPGA Tour heads back to the United States for the second Major of the 2025 season, the US Women's Open presented by Ally at Erin Hills in Wisconsin. – LPGA
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Kelantan shine at home with superb win
PETALING JAYA: Kelantan made home advantage count in emphatic fashion, brushing aside Kuala Lumpur 3-1 in the FA Cup round-of-16 first leg at the Sultan Mohd IV Stadium in Kota Baru on Monday (Aug 18). The Red Warriors struck early through their captain Ifedayo Olusegun, who punished a poor backpass from KL's Ukrainian defender Dimitro Lytyn with a calm finish past goalkeeper Quincy Kammeraad in just the fourth minute. Olusegun doubled his tally 10 minutes later, reacting quickest to a fumble from Kammeraad after T. Saravanan's volley, before Sean Selvaraj extended the lead in the 61st minute by turning in Nor Azam Azih's corner. Kuala Lumpur managed to salvage some hope late on when substitute Syamer Kutty Abba volleyed home a Safawi Rasid corner in the 86th minute, giving them something to fight for in the return leg. The away side should have added a second in the dying stages of the game but Safawi slipped and blazed his penalty over the bar. Meanwhile in Paroi, Negri Sembilan delivered a dominant 5-0 win over Police at the Tuanku Abdul Rahman Stadium. Bosnian winger Jovan Motika opened the floodgates with a stunning 25-metre freekick inside the first minute, and Police's night worsened when Ivorian defender Noel Agbre was sent off in the 11th minute for a last-man foul. Motika netted again in the 40th minute, finishing off a pass from Japanese playmaker Takumi Sasaki, before Joseph Esso pounced on a rebound three minutes later for the Deer's third. The Ghanaian striker added another in the 83rd minute, while substitute Mio Tsuneyasu got on the scoresheet in the 77th to cap a commanding performance.
The Star
10 hours ago
- The Star
Japan's Akie Iwai wins The Standard Portland Classic to join twin sister Chisato as 2025 LPGA Tour Rolex First Time Winner
Akie Iwai of Japan poses with the trophy after winning The Standard Portland Classic 2025 at Columbia Edgewater Country Club on August 17, 2025, in Portland, Oregon. -- Photo by- LPGA PORTLAND, Oregon, USA: Japan's Akie Iwai became the 10th Rolex First Time Winner of the 2025 LPGA Tour season with a four-stroke victory at The Standard Portland Classic at Columbia Edgewater Country Club on Sunday. With a four-round total of 24-under-par 264 (67-67-64-66), Iwai joined her twin sister Chisato as a rookie winner in 2025. American Gurleen Kaur finished a career-best second on 20-under-par 268 (65-68-70-65), one shot clear of Chisato (69-70-66-64) and Sweden's Linn Grant (66-71-65-67). 2025 Amundi Evian Championship winner Grace Kim of Australia was sole fourth on 18-under-par 270 (68-65-67-70). Starting the final round with a two-shot lead over Kim, Iwai was the picture of steadiness as she notched six birdies on a blemish-free scorecard. The 23-year-old from Saitama birdied her last two holes to pull away from the pack, picking up a cheque for US$300,000 to take her season earnings past the US$1 million mark. Playing her first season on the LPGA Tour after earning her card with a tied fifth finish at Final Qualifying last December, Iwai had second-place finishes at the Honda LPGA Thailand in February and the JM Eagle LA Championship in April. The six-time Japan LPGA Tour winner watched her sister win in Mexico in May, and has now joined her as an LPGA Tour winner. Iwai is the fifth player from Japan to win on the LPGA Tour in 2025, the most ever in a single season, following Chisato (MEXICO Riviera Maya Open at Mayakoba), Rio Takeda (Blue Bay LPGA), Mao Saigo (The Chevron Championship) and Miyu Yamashita (AIG Women's Open). All are LPGA Tour rookies except for Saigo. 'So many Japanese players won this year, so that inspired me. Everybody played well this year, so everything inspired me to play better,' said Iwai, who is a minute older than her sister. The Iwai twins join Jessica and Nelly Korda, Ariya and Moriya Jutanugarn, and Annika and Charlotta Sorenstam as sisters who have won on the LPGA Tour. Dating back to 1972, The Standard Portland Classic is the longest continuous event on the LPGA Tour outside of the Majors. The LPGA Tour will next head north to Canada for the CPKC Women's Open at Mississauga Golf & Country Club in Ontario, where American Lauren Coughlin will seek to defend her title. -- LPGA
The Sun
14 hours ago
- The Sun
Akie Iwai wins Portland Classic to join twin sister as LPGA champion
JAPAN 's Akie Iwai carded a six-under 66 to secure her maiden LPGA victory at the Portland Classic. The win makes her the 10th first-time champion this season and the fifth Japanese player to lift a trophy. Iwai finished with a 24-under total of 264, four strokes clear of American Gurleen Kaur in second place. Kaur posted a bogey-free 65, her best LPGA round, but couldn't close the gap on the steady Iwai. Chisato Iwai, Akie's twin sister, charged up the leaderboard with an eight-under 64 to finish tied for third. Chisato had previously won the Riviera Maya Open in May, inspiring Akie to push for her own breakthrough. '(She) really inspired me,' said Akie, who also finished runner-up in Thailand and at the LA Championship this year. Akie started strong with birdies on the fifth and sixth, then added two more at the 11th and 14th. She sealed the win with back-to-back birdies on the final two holes, including an 18-footer at the last. 'Today I was able to conquer myself,' she said after the emotional victory. Chisato was the first to celebrate, rushing onto the green to spray champagne with her sister. 'Just watching, so nervous,' Chisato admitted as Akie closed out the win. Chisato's round included two eagles and four straight birdies, but an early bogey kept her from contention. Sweden's Linn Grant matched Chisato's 19-under total, while Australia's Grace Kim finished fifth at 18-under. The victory cements the Iwai twins as rising stars in women's golf. - AFP
