Yamashita’s treasure

PORTHCAWL, United Kingdom (AFP) — Miyu Yamashita of Japan won the Women's British Open by two strokes at Royal Porthcawl on Sunday to clinch an emotional first major title.

Yamashita carded a two-under par final round to hold off a strong challenge from England's Charley Hull on the Welsh links course.

She finished on 11-under par for the tournament, with Hull and Japan's Minami Katsu ending in a tie for second place after final rounds of 69 left them on nine under.

Just a day after turning 24, Yamashita became the third Japanese woman to win the British Open after Hinako Shibuno in 2019 and Ayako Okamoto in 1984.

She joyously swigged from a bottle of champagne on the 18th green before wiping away tears of joy after sealing her victory.

"To win such a historic tournament in front of all these amazing fans is such an incredible feeling," Yamashita said.

"The course is set up to be very difficult but also in a brilliant condition. The amount of people supporting me today really pushed me towards the victory and this is for them."

Yamashita's previous best performance in a major was a tie for second place at last year's Women's PGA Championship.

She survived a stern test of her temperament on the last day after resuming with a one-stroke lead over South Korea's Kim A-lim.

Having posted a bogey-free 65 on Friday, she had carded a two-over par 74 marred by erratic driving off the tee and struggles on the greens in the third round.

Yamashita recovered her composure on Sunday as she embarked on a relentless march to the trophy.

Prior to this year, Yamashita's highest finish at the Women's British Open was 13th in 2022, but she mastered the Porthcawl course in emphatic fashion.

"To be part of such a moment in history is something special," she said.

"Being my first win is something very special and to celebrate with everyone is an amazing feeling."

Yamashita is the fourth Japanese major champion in the past two years.

Prior to 2024, Japan had just two major champions in the history of the LPGA Tour.

Kim tested Yamashita when she drew level at the top of the leaderboard with a birdie on the second hole.

But Yamashita immediately regained the lead when Kim missed two putts to bogey the next hole.

England's Mimi Rhodes made a hole-in-one on the fifth when her tee shot hit another ball and deflected in.

However, that remarkable moment couldn't seize the spotlight from Yamashita.

She moved three shots clear of Kim on the fourth hole with an ice-cool birdie while the South Korean bogeyed.

A three-putt bogey on the seventh left Kim's title challenge in tatters.

Hull made her charge with three birdies in four holes to pull within a stroke of Yamashita.

She had been 11 strokes back at the start of the third round.

The largest 36-hole deficit overcome to win any LPGA major all-time is 10 shots, but Yamashita snuffed out any chance of that record being broken.

She carded birdies on the eighth and ninth to move three shots ahead.

Hull, who finished second at both the British Open and the US Open in 2023, kept fighting.

The 29-year-old dropped in an eight-foot birdie putt at the 12th and guided in another birdie to huge roars on the 14th.

Yamashita's lead was down to one stroke with five holes left, but as the pressure mounted it was Hull who cracked.

She slumped with bogeys on the 16th and 17th to gift the title to the nerveless Yamashita, who embraced her caddie and punched the air in delight after wrapping up the victory.