OT: Starts Thursday Women British Open leaderboard

[Blakeon18]

AIG Women's Open 2025 - LPGA Golf Leaderboard | ESPN

Visit ESPN to view the AIG Women's Open Golf leaderboard from the LPGA tour

www.espn.com

Last women's major...they call it a different name but it is still The Open over there.

Lots of the usual TV viewing:

Thursday and Friday : 7:00-2:00 on USA

Saturday and Sunday : 7:00-12:00 on USA
12:00- 2:00 on NBC
New name to keep an eye on : Lottie Woad
Only 21...from England...a great amateur career at Florida State...including some
excellent LPGA events while playing as an amateur.

Just turned pro a couple of weeks ago. Her LPGA career as a pro is still
very much in the Dixville Notch time frame but by all accounts she will be a huge star.
She won the Scottish Open last week against an excellent field...including world #1
Nelly Korda....her very first tourney as a pro.

Experts declare she has no apparent weakness in her game. I took a look at some video and while her swing
doesn't have the super-smooth tempo that some players have [like Korda] there is nothing flukey about it...very aggressive
with long clubs...hits it a long way.

Tee times listed in the link are our times...both Woad and Korda go off Thursday around 8:00 to 8:30.

Wouldn't mind it a bit if a very late Sunday pairing had Lottie and Nelly in it.

 

[Bone Dog]

In my household, we always root for the Japanese and Korean players. This is non negotiable.

 

[veivoli]

In my household, we always root for the Japanese and Korean players. This is non negotiable.

And don't sleep on our young lady, Lydia Ko. I think she might be in Woad's group for the first round(s). Of course she was born in Korea...

 

[Blakeon18]

Uhh...to coin a phrase...it is "non-negotiable" that the influx of Asian players has had a pronounced effect
on the depth of quality on the LPGA tour. Many more players who are excellent and can win in any
given week. A small sample of that is to take a look at the very early leaderboard...lots of Asian
names....whether they are from Japan/Korea or the USA.

That trend will only be more a factor as China has begun to develop excellent players many of whom may
well come to play on the LPGA tour. That really started..no surprise... when The Olympics began to give gold medals to golfers.

 

[Blakeon18]

Day One results:

Japanese players had an excellent start:

Okayama and Takeda [both from Japan] lead with 5 under 67.
Several other Japanese players are in top 10.

Weather was sunny...temperatures didn't seem to be much of a factor...there was
significant wind.

A few other scores:
Nelly Korda is T13 with a solid 2 under 70.
Lottie Woad is T51 with even par 72,,,never really got it going.
Defending champion Lydia Ko is T74 with one over 73. Another round like that and she may
miss the cut.

 

[Blakeon18]

Day 2 play is over.

Yamashita leads...now 11 under...68-65.
Takeda second...now 8 under.

3rd place is 4 under...pretty big margin to the lead.

A big bunch at 10th...2 under par.
Korda 70-72.
Woad 72-70.

Woad turned an excellent round into a good one...triple bogey on 16. Had been 5 under on the round thru 15.

Lydia Ko just made the cut....at 2 over....73-73.
Japanese players excelling so far...not just the first and second place women.

I suppose anyone under par still has a shot with 36 to play but they need 2 great rounds and maybe
some help from Yamashita and Takeda.

This thing could be head-to-head on Sunday if they continue their great play.

Weather: sunshine...temps not bad...significant wind.

 

[boontonbomber]

Se RI Pak really was the player who so inspired Asian women to give golf a try. Right now a quarter of the top100 women are from South Korea, not counting Lydia Ko, who grew up in New Zealand. In the Open I'm keeping an eye on Geno( Oops, I mean "Jeeno").

 

[boontonbomber]

Of local interest, Megan Khang , who grew up in Rockland, Ma., is only 3 shots back going into the final round.

 

[Blakeon18]

We have us a tournament! Yamashita missed a bunch of short putts....had a 74...leads by one with quite a few
players closing the gap. Kim at 8 under...Lee at 7 under....several at 6 under including Charlie Hull and Megan...go Megan! Yamashita could easily have had a 70.

I have had the pleasure of watching Megan a couple of times in person when she was a [very young] teen...winning the Ct. Open twice.
She is not a long hitter but is very steady and has played a couple of times on our Solheim Cup teams. This would be a huge win for her...hope she makes it happen.

Weather pretty much every day: lots of sunshine...moderate temps...significant wind.

Note: first cut rough is not difficult...saw many good shots out of it....and...the first cut is quite wide.

 

[The deacon]

We have us a tournament! Yamashita missed a bunch of short putts....had a 74...leads by one with quite a few
players closing the gap. Kim at 8 under...Lee at 7 under....several at 6 under including Charlie Hull and Megan...go Megan! Yamashita could easily have had a 70.

I have had the pleasure of watching Megan a couple of times in person when she was a [very young] teen...winning the Ct. Open twice.
She is not a long hitter but is very steady and has played a couple of times on our Solheim Cup teams. This would be a huge win for her...hope she makes it happen.

Weather pretty much every day: lots of sunshine...moderate temps...significant wind.

Note: first cut rough is not difficult...saw many good shots out of it....and...the first cut is quite wide.

Thanks for your Women's Open reports. Charley Hull is making it interesting well into Round Four.

While watching that with interest, I'll be looking forward to rooting for Cameron Young to grab his first PGA Tour win. He's a fellow Deacon, and that he's got the chance to do at nearby Sedgefield is pretty cool.

I well remember the days when I would join fellow golf friends at Wake to thumb rides along I-40 to Greensboro to watch the tournament (yes, skipping classes). That was in the mid- to late-60s... among the top attractions was the ageless Sam Snead, who had won what was then called the Greater Greensboro Open eight times, including just three years earlier at age 52!

Good luck, Cameron. Go, Deacs!

 

[Blakeon18]

Rooting for Cameron as well. Our TonyC on the board played with him when Cameron was 11 or 12.
5 shot lead over second place....and 8 [Yikes!] over third place. Never won on the PGA tour...today should be
his first

 

[Blakeon18]

Tournament is done.

Yamashita wins by 2...11 under. Charley Hull made a serious run...got within one shot late
but 2 bogeys ...back to back... shut her down. Yamashita made only one bogey...late... when it was pretty
much over...her first major win.

A few other scores:

Lottie Woad...tied for 8th
Lydia Ko and Nelly Korda...tied for 36th.

 

[The deacon]

Rooting for Cameron as well. Our TonyC on the board played with him when Cameron was 11 or 12.
5 shot lead over second place....and 8 [Yikes!] over third place. Never won on the PGA tour...today should be
his first

Go, Deacs! Well done, Cameron!

Congrats to Yamashita. Thanks for this thread, Blake

 

[Blakeon18]

Cameron did a fair imitation of Scottie Sheffler Sunday...winning by 6 in a walk. His first win on the
PGA tour...has won a lot of money and challenged in Big events...this just might lead to many more.

BTW: Megan Khang had a good tourney...tied for 6th. A nice check and some points added
to her chances for a return to our 2026 Solheim Cup team.

 

[TAK]

Great reporting, Blake! Thank you.