Porthcawl Proves Credentials In 'brilliant Week'

The curtain fell connected nan 2025 AIG Women's Open pinch a emotion that Wales' 2nd play awesome will travel astir considerably faster than nan first.

The men's Open Championship has been going since 1860, while nan Women's Open was first played successful 1976.

The tournaments person travelled astir nan UK, yet it was not until past week that either came to Wales.

Miyu Yamashita emerged victorious astatine Royal Porthcawl, nan Japanese holding disconnected Charley Hull's final-day situation to declare nan biggest triumph of her career.

A first awesome occurrence for English prima Hull, who drew nan biggest galleries of nan week, would person made greater headlines connected these shores.

But sloppy of who triumphed, Wales tin bespeak pinch pridefulness connected its biggest ever female sports event.

"Wales and Porthcawl person been fantastic," said Mark Darbon, main executive of play governing assemblage nan R&A.

"It's been a superb week."

Royal Porthcawl has hosted nan Amateur Championship 7 times, arsenic good arsenic nan Curtis Cup successful 1964 and nan Walker Cup successful 1995.

It has besides been nan shape for 3 Senior Opens, successful 2014, 2017 and 2023, but nan Women's Open was connected a different level successful position of nan tournament's status, its scope and nan value of nan field.

This was Royal Porthcawl's infinitesimal successful nan sun – and nan wind, positive immoderate rain, though not arsenic overmuch arsenic location mightiness person been – and nan southbound Wales links shone.

Maureen Madill, nan erstwhile Ladies European Tour subordinate turned pundit from Northern Ireland, went arsenic acold arsenic suggesting that Porthcawl had eclipsed Royal Portrush, nan segment of nan men's Open Championship past month.

"I person been stepping astir this week and I person to opportunity – and I will astir apt ne'er get backmost into Ireland aft I opportunity this – I deliberation nan people is successful amended information than Royal Portrush was for nan Open 2 weeks ago," she said during BBC power sum complete nan weekend.

"That's me. I will not beryllium allowed crossed nan Irish Sea now.

"But I americium successful awe. I person been looking astatine these glorious greens, nan building of nan bunkers, nan sweeps, nan hollows, nan shadows… it's perfectly glorious."

Madill was not nan only 1 who was impressed.

Darcey Harry, nan Ladies European Tour rookie from adjacent Dinas Powys, played successful her first Women's Open astatine her location course.

There was a emotion of pridefulness for Harry, she explained, arsenic her chap competitors sewage to cognize – and took a liking to - nan nine wherever she has been a personnel since her mid-teens.

"It's really bully to perceive everyone opportunity really difficult nan people is and really beautiful it is," said Harry, who vanished tied for 40th successful conscionable nan 2nd awesome of her young career.

"I decidedly deliberation Royal Porthcawl has been a awesome success. I do dream successful a fewer years' time, [the Women's Open] tin travel backmost because there's decidedly a awesome set-up and it's been challenging and it's been exciting."

Lydia Hall, nan only different Welsh subordinate successful nan field, was a small unfortunate to miss nan trim by a changeable having produced a battling show connected nan people wherever she was erstwhile nan ladies' nine champion.

Despite that disappointment, Hall described Women's Open week arsenic "amazing" and echoed nan plea for nan tourney to return "because this play people has sewage everything".

"It tests each facet of your crippled from intelligence toughness to short crippled putting," added Hall, a seasoned of 8 Women's Opens.

"I deliberation Wales has done america proud successful hosting this arena and putting connected a awesome show."

Crucially, nan R&A were pleased by events successful Porthcawl, wherever much than 47,000 fans – which was much than nan play governing assemblage had anticipated – came done nan gates betwixt Wednesday and Sunday.

The bad news for play followers successful Wales is that location is nary imaginable of nan men's Open Championship coming to their homeland immoderate clip soon.

The much affirmative statement is nan denotation from Darbon that Porthcawl "is an important venue" for nan R&A and is "very overmuch successful our thinking" to shape different Women's Open.

Hull thrilled nan location crowds connected Sunday, moving to wrong 1 changeable of lead pinch a tally of 5 birdies successful 10 holes earlier bogeys astatine 16 and 17 allowed Yamashita to get complete nan winning statement pinch comparative comfort.

Harry besides prompted roars successful nan galleries, peculiarly connected Thursday and Friday, while pre-tournament favourite Lottie Woad vanished successful a necktie for eighth spot contempt nan truth that she ne'er really looked for illustration contending for nan title.

There were large names who had decent weeks, for illustration Minjee Lee and Megan Khang, and others specified arsenic Jeeno Thitikul – nan caller world number 1 – Nelly Korda and 2024 champion Lydia Ko who could not find nan answers to nan questions Porthcawl posed.

Asked what she knew astir Wales connected nan eve of nan tournament, a smiling Ko mentioned nan dragon connected nan flag, that nan connection has "some words that conscionable look for illustration a bunch of consonants" and that for illustration her autochthonal New Zealand, location are plentifulness of sheep.

She is now alert from acquisition that it has a play people tin of staging a awesome championship.