AIG Women's Open: Miyu Yamashita holds halfway major lead with Nelly Korda, Lottie Woad in chasing pack at Royal Porthcawl
Miyu Yamashita holds a three-shot lead over Rio Takeda at Royal Porthcawl; Nelly Korda, Lottie Woad and Wales' Darcey Harry all nine back on two under; Watch the AIG Women's Open live on Saturday from midday on Sky Sports Golf
Saturday 2 August 2025 10:40, UK
World No 1 Nelly Korda and pre-tournament favourite Lottie Woad are among the players chasing Japan’s Miyu Yamashita at the halfway stage of the AIG Women’s Open.
Yamashita followed an opening-round 68 with a stunning bogey-free 65 on Friday morning at Royal Porthcawl, firing seven birdies in the best of the conditions to set the clubhouse target at 11 under.
The world No 15 holds a three-shot lead over compatriot and playing partner Rio Takeda, who shared top spot after the opening day and added a three-under 69, with the Japanese pair holding a commanding advantage over the chasing pack.
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Switzerland's Chiara Tamburlini and American Lindy Duncan are among the players on four under and seven back, with Woad, Korda and Wales' Darcey Harry heading into the weekend nine strokes behind on two under.
World No 2 Jeeno Thitikul is in the group on one under and Charley Hull is through to the weekend after a second-round 71 lifted her to level par, while defending champion Lydia Ko snuck through on the cut mark of two over.
How Yamashita grabbed statement lead in Wales
Yamashita was out in the fifth group of the morning and quickly jumped ahead after opening with back-to-back birdies, then ended a run of pars by making three more in success from the ninth.
She took advantage of both the closing par-fives to set the clubhouse target, including the par-five last, with playing partner Takeda three back after missing her eagle attempt - from inside eight feet - on the final hole.
Takeda had added an eagle, two birdies and two bogeys over the rest of the round, with those two now going out in the final group on Saturday after none of the chasing pack were able to get close to them.
Pre-tournament favourite Woad had briefly moved into fourth spot after three birdies in a row from the 12th took her to five under for the day, only for her to triple-bogey the par-four 16th after her hack out of thick rough left her having to take a one-shot penalty for an unplayable lie.
Korda carded four birdies and as many bogeys during her level-par 72, with Thitikul - who could replace her at the top of the world rankings this week - a further stroke back after a triple-bogey at the par-three 15th saw her post a second-round 73.
The best of the scoring came from the morning wave, as winds strengthened during the early afternoon, with England's Mimi Rhodes inside the top 20 and Solheim Cup captain Anna Nordqvist also on one under.
Hull looked in danger of missing the cut but birdied two of her last six holes to card a one-under 71, while Stephanie Kyriacou fired a hole-in-one at the par-three eighth in her second-round 70 to also sit on level par.
Three consecutive bogeys on her back nine left Ko outside the cut mark when she finished round, but she is through on two over alongside Solheim Cup-winning captain Stacy Lewis, Evian Championship winner Grace Kim and three-time major champion Minjee Lee.
Who is Yamashita? The golf star, you may never have heard of, who holds halfway lead
Yamashita has upstaged the pre-tournament favourites to grab the halfway lead at the AIG Women's Open, although her impressive start should not come as a huge surprise.
She may not be a household name to the UK audience, yet, but the Japanese star has been the star of the first two rounds at Royal Porthcawl.
Yamashita arrived in Wales following last week's top-10 at the ISPS Handa Women's Scottish Open - one of six top-10s on the LPGA Tour during an impressive rookie season so far.
The 23-year-old is a 13-time winner on the LPGA of Japan Tour over the previous four years and has top-15 finishes in each of the last two majors, with Yamashita also previously finishing inside the top 25 at this event.
She has made $1.1m in prize money on the LPGA Tour this season but that would more than double if she was to win this week, which would make her the second Japanese major winner of the year. Since April 2021, Yamashita has 43 (yes, forty-three) top-three finishes worldwide. A ridiculous run that could continue.
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