Rio Takeda and Eri Okayama Lead the Women’s Open
In the Women’s Open, Rio Takeda and Eri Okayama shared the lead after the first day at Royal Porthcawl. Takeda, with an outstanding performance, managed to recover from a double bogey on the 9th hole, finishing with a card of 67 strokes, five under par. The competition featured a strong presence of Japanese players, with Miyu Yamashita in third position with 68 strokes. Takeda, one of the 20 players who have won on the LPGA Tour this year, demonstrated her resilience. Eri Okayama, for her part, also signed a remarkable round, achieving a crucial birdie on the 17th hole. Lottie Woad, who came to the tournament as the number one in women’s amateur golf, finished with a score of 72 strokes, par for the course, staying in the fight. Woad played alongside defending champion Lydia Ko, who had a round of 73 strokes, and Lilia Vu, with 74 strokes.Nelly Korda, who could lose her number one ranking position, finished with 70 strokes, thanks to three birdies and a solid performance. Mao Saigo and Chisato Iwai, along with Mimi Rhodes, also stood out with 69 strokes. Rhodes, who grew up near the field, found the wind conditions more manageable than expected.I had a good number of birdies, just a few poor bogeys on the front nine that definitely could have been avoided. It’s nice to finish at par and birdie the last. It’s one of those rounds that definitely could have gotten away. I’m happy with how I hung in there and put together a decent round.
Lottie Woad
