The first round of the 2025 AIG British Women’s Open from Royal Porthcawl Golf Course is now complete from Wales, and what we saw on Thursday were multiple spectacular performances by Japanese golfers.
Of the 29 players currently in contention, seven are from Japan, including the top three players. The leaders are Eri Okayama and Rio Takeda at -5, while Miyu Yamashita is one stroke back at -4.
Okayama had six birdies and one bogey. She birdied the second, fourth, sixth, seventh, ninth, and 17th holes, and bogeyed the first hole. Takeda had seven birdies and one double bogey. She birdied the first, second, sixth, 12th, 13th, 15th, and 18th holes, and double bogeyed the ninth hole.
There is then a 10-way tie for fourth place at -3, and two strokes back. There you can find 2025 Chevron Champion Mao Saigo of Japan, 2015 United States Women’s Open champion, 2016 Evian Champion, and 2022 Women’s PGA Championship winner In-gee Chun of South Korea, Japan’s Shiho Kuwaki, Japan’s Chisato Iwai, South Korea’s Ina Yoon, American Alexa Pano, Belgium’s Manon De Roey, Germany’s Laura Feunfstueck, England’s Mimi Rhodes, and Austria’s Emma Spitz.
There is then a 16-way tie for 14th place at -2, and three strokes back. There you can find 2021 Women’s PGA Championship winner and 2024 Chevron champion Nelly Korda of the United States, 2021 Evian Championship winner, 2022 United States Women’s Open champion and 2025 Women’s PGA Championship winner Minjee Lee of Perth, Australia, 2024 Women’s PGA Championship winner Amy Yang of South Korea, 2020 United States Women’s Open champion A-lim Kim of South Korea, Hae-ran Ryu of South Korea, Na-rin An of South Korea, Sweden’s Ingrid Lindblad, Americans Brooke Matthews, Lindy Duncan, Auston Kim and Andrea Lee, Thailand’s Jeeno Thitikul, China’s Miranda Wang, Darcey Harry of Wales, 2024 Evian Championship winner Ayaka Furue of Japan, and Sweden’s Linn Grant.
