Yamashita Leads After Stunning 65 At Women's Open

AIG Women's Open 2025 - 2nd information leaderboard

-11 Yamashita (Jpn); -8 Takeda (Jpn)

Selected others

-2 Harry (Wal), Korda (US), Woad (Eng); -1 Nordqvist (Swe); E G Hall (Eng); +2 Ko (NZ); +7 Vu (US)

Full leaderboard

Japan's Miyu Yamashita changeable a bogey-free 65 successful her 2nd information to return a commanding lead of nan AIG Women's Open astatine Royal Porthcawl.

Yamashita was among those to return advantage of nan somewhat calmer conditions successful southbound Wales connected Friday morning, pinch upwind speeds expected to summation during nan afternoon.

England's Lottie Woad looked connected people to station a akin people successful her 2nd information earlier a triple-bogey 7 connected nan par-four 16th derailed her progress.

The 21-year-old yet vanished pinch a two-under 70, leaving her 9 shots down nan leader.

Yamashita, who turns 24 years aged connected Saturday, birdied her first 2 holes and picked up 4 much shots astir nan turn.

Her seventh birdie of nan time astatine nan past wrapped up nan lowest information of nan tourney truthful acold and group nan clubhouse target astatine 11 nether par.

Rio Takeda, playing successful nan aforesaid three-ball arsenic Yamashita, followed Thursday's information of 67 pinch a three-under 69 connected Friday to dishonesty 8 nether for nan championship.

Elsewhere, Australia's Steph Kyriacou deed nan first hole-in-one of this year's tourney astatine nan par-three eighth.

The trim people is expected to beryllium either level par aliases 1 over, meaning defending champion Lydia Ko - astatine 2 complete aft a 2nd consecutive information of 73 - whitethorn not person done capable to return portion successful nan last 2 rounds.

World number 1 Nelly Korda will make nan cut, though, arsenic a level-par 72 near her astatine 2 nether for nan tournament.

Farnham-born Woad, nan pre-tournament favourite, changeable a level-par 72 successful her opening information but had charged into nan apical 5 pinch 3 holes of her 2nd information to play.

After 5 consecutive pars to start, Woad made six birdies and 1 bogey crossed nan adjacent 10 holes.

Then, each of her affirmative momentum was halted connected nan par-four 16th:

After that setback, Woad made 2 coagulated pars to finish.

"I deliberation it's astir apt nan toughest spread connected nan course," Woad said aft her round.

"The tee changeable is difficult to deed nan fairway and past you've sewage a three-wood into a very beardown wind. Anything that's missing nan target is going to beryllium exaggerated.

"So I pushed it and sewage a beautiful unlucky lie. It wasn't excessively heavy astir location isolated from wherever I was, truthful I couldn't really do overmuch pinch that."

Asked astir her 2nd information arsenic a full aft a reliable opening day, she added: "I'd surely return it [two nether par] now, but not erstwhile I was opinionated connected nan 16th tee.

"I've conscionable sewage to effort to play good complete nan weekend. The leaderboard is beautiful packed truthful I tin move up a bit."