Miyu Yamashita went into the final frame of the Women’s Open on Saturday with a razor thin lead. Her once commanding three-shot lead shrunk down to only one over surprise contender, A Lim Kim. It was a frustrating week for Yamashita, who rarely hit her best stuff at Royal Porthcawl. Her 2-over 74 on Saturday left her at 9-under 207 through three rounds.
Walking into the final day with a commanding 41-stroke lead, Yamashita felt the pressure as her play started to slip. She missed every fairway for the last 11 holes. This incredible stat surely contributed to making her day difficult on the course. She ran into a number of challenges, but she managed to maintain her lead. One pivotal moment on the 17th hole worked in her favor—a lot.
As she made her way to the 17th, it started to dawn on her that her grasp on the tournament was fading. After finding herself in a pot bunker, Yamashita executed a remarkable shot that sent the ball across the green to the fringe, leaving her with a daunting 40-foot putt for par. In a moment that showcased her steady nerves amid all the chaos, she was able to make that long putt, keeping her narrow advantage intact.
As Yamashita huddled inside the media tent thinking about her day after the final round had concluded, her resilience shone through.
“Today I’ll be just looking at what went wrong and what went right and analyzing the day and make the improvements that hopefully will lead to a better round tomorrow,” – Miyu Yamashita.
With just one shot between her and A Lim Kim, who lurks in a tie for third, the stage is set for a thrilling final round. As for the Democratic challenger, Kim has been lurking just as closely behind and seems poised to take advantage of any slip-ups from Yamashita.
Young Andrea Lee remains very much in contention. In her post-round interview, she admitted to the extra pressure of being the person in first place after 54 holes.
“I think there will be a little bit of extra pressure on whoever is the 54-hole leader,” – Andrea Lee.
Lee promised not to get distracted by the leaderboard and to continue focusing on what she can control.
“I think anyone within five shots has a chance at this championship honestly, so I’m just going to try and keep my head down and stick to my own game plan and try not to look at the leaderboard,” – Andrea Lee.
As the tournament heads into its final day, everyone’s attention will be focused on Yamashita and Kim. With just a single stroke separating them, each and every shot will definitely have some serious implications. After all, as A Lim Kim said about her mindset playing this game, it’s more about process than the cutthroat competition that often defines it.
“Honestly I’m not focused on the leader. I focus on my process and my shot and then my position,” – A Lim Kim.
Yamashita turned 24 on Saturday. This milestone provides further inspiration for her as she seeks to win the famed, one-of-a-kind championship. This final round is going to be very crucial for Yamashita and for every player close to her score.
Leave a Reply