Miyu Yamashita Leads Women’s British Open Despite a Difficult Day
Porthcawl, Wales – Miyu Yamashita, with an erratic game off the tee and problems on the greens, finished a tight round of 74 strokes (+2) on Saturday, reducing her lead to a single stroke over A Lim Kim at the Women’s British Open. Yamashita, who began the third round with a three-stroke lead, failed to find the fairway in the last 11 holes, but still held on at Royal Porthcawl, though not without difficulty. She was about to lose the lead on the 17th hole, but she managed a spectacular shot from a bunker that took her to the edge of the green, about 40 feet away. She holed the putt for par and then missed a birdie opportunity from less than 6 feet on the final hole, a par 5. This left Yamashita, who turned 24 on Saturday, with a total of 207 strokes (-9).Kim, for his part, had a brilliant performance with a round of 67 strokes (-5), driven by a strong wind. He had the opportunity to tie for the lead after a 335-yard drive on the 18th hole, but his par putt came up short. This puts her in the final group alongside Yamashita, seeking her second major, after winning the U.S. Women’s Open in 2020.Today I will analyze what went wrong and what went well, and I will make the necessary improvements to have a better round tomorrow.
Miyu Yamashita
England’s exciting Charley Hull is also in the running. With a round of 66 strokes, Hull went from being 11 strokes behind to just three of the leader, seeking her first major.Honestly, I don’t focus on the leader. I focus on my process, my swing, and my position.
A Lim Kim
Andrea Lee, with 67 strokes, is two behind the leader, followed by Megan Khang (68), Rio Takeda (74) and Minami Katsu, who tied the lowest score of the tournament with 65.I like to chase. It’s more fun that way.
Charley Hull
The Women’s British Open promised to be a Japanese duel, with Yamashita leading Takeda by three strokes and no one else closer than seven. However, Yamashita struggled with her short game early on. He recovered with an approach from the rough for birdie on the 11th hole and another birdie on the 12th hole, but the difficulty of the course caught up with him. Takeda also didn’t have his best day, with bogeys at the beginning and end of his round. Lottie Woad, England’s rising star, birdied the final hole for a 71 and finished six shots behind the leader. Nelly Korda, the world’s number 1, could end the major season without a title. With a round of 74, she is nine strokes behind the leader and risks losing her number 1 position. The LPGA season is already historic for not having a multiple winner in 19 tournaments, a streak that could continue.I think there will be a little extra pressure on whoever leads after 54 holes. Tomorrow will be difficult. Anything can happen. I think anyone within five strokes has a chance in this championship, so I’ll just try to keep my head down and stick to my game plan.
Andrea Lee
