In a thrilling start to the Women’s Open at Royal Porthcawl, Rio Takeda and Eri Okayama emerged as co-leaders after the first round, both shooting impressive scores of 5-under 67. Their impressive efforts have created a thrilling tournament atmosphere, as the competitors continue to make their way through the tricky course.
Takeda displayed determination, recovering from a double bogey on the par-5 ninth hole. She fought back with four birdies in the last seven holes, showing poise and resilience when the heat was on. Ok Un-ju, the world’s top-ranked archer, matched her on the other field, grinding consistently through a long day.
Japanese players took the first six places on the leaderboard, with Miyu Yamashita taking third with a 68. Mao Saigo and Chisato Iwai, in addition to England’s Mimi Rhodes, finished with a large group at 69. Notably, Lydia Ko and Lilia Vu struggled, both finishing with a score of 74, while Nelly Korda managed an even-par 72.
It did not come without trials for Lottie Woad during the round. She played in the afternoon with Korda and had to make the swift turnaround back for her second round morning start. The crashing headwind certainly didn’t make things easier during her round, which proved to be a challenge in so many ways.
“Had a good amount of birdies, just a few poor bogeys on the front nine that could have definitely been avoided,” – Lottie Woad
Indeed, under the circumstances, what Takeda pulled off was nothing short of extraordinary. The members of Royal Porthcawl remarked that the wind on show was some of the worst they had ever experienced. That cut down on how aggressive players could be in terms of where they hit their approach shots, as Rhodes noted.
“The members told me it was the windiest they’d ever seen it, so I played it like with a lot of wind,” – Mimi Rhodes
Korda made a big 12-footer on No. 1 for par, which kept her in it and more than competitive. This clutch move helped her remain in contention even with a relatively low cumulative score.
“Sometimes you have to get lucky when you make the wrong decision. You kind of have to bail yourself out,” – Nelly Korda
Leave a Reply