Yamashita holds off Hull to win Women's Open

AIG Women's Open 2025 - final round leaderboard

-11 Yamashita (Jpn); -9 Hull (Eng), Katsu (Jpn); -7 AL Kim (Kor), Takeda (Jpn)

Selected others

-4 Woad (Eng); -2 M Lee (Aus); -1 Hall (Eng), Rhodes (Eng); +1 Thitikul (Tha); +3 Ko (NZ), Korda (US)

Full leaderboard

Miyu Yamashita produced an almost faultless final round to hold off England's Charley Hull and win the Women's Open at Royal Porthcawl.

It is a first major victory for the 24-year-old from Japan, following top-10 finishes at each of the past two editions of the Women's PGA Championship.

Yamashita's two-under round of 70 left her two shots clear of 29-year-old Hull, who carded a three-under 69 to finish second in a major for the fourth time in her career.

Minami Katsu of Japan birdied the last to finish alongside Hull at nine under for the championship.

Hull relentlessly pursued Yamashita's lead all afternoon but consecutive bogeys at the 16th and 17th, her only dropped shots of the day, ended her hopes.

Yamashita assumed control of the tournament with a seven-under-par round of 65 on Friday morning and led from that moment on.

She briefly shared top spot with playing partner A Lim Kim early in her final round, but the South Korean's birdie at the second was quickly followed by consecutive bogeys.

Hull, who propelled herself into contention with a six-under 66 on Saturday, quickly emerged as the main challenger to world number 15 Yamashita.

They both played their first nine holes in three under par, meaning Yamashita reached the turn three shots clear.

Hull refused to relent and continued to attack, closing the gap to one shot until a costly trip to a fairway bunker on the 16th.

A couple of groups further back, Yamashita stayed remarkably composed and was able to limit the damage of her rare errors - superbly saving par with a lengthy putt at the 14th.

With the knowledge that a bogey on the par-five 18th would be enough for victory, there were some nervous moments when Yamashita found the rough with her first two shots - before a safe chip onto the green with her third ended any doubt she would be the third Japanese winner of the Women's Open.

England's Mimi Rhodes, a three-time winner on the Ladies European Tour this year, finished one under par for the tournament and capped her Women's Open debut with an astonishing hole-in-one on the par-three fifth.

Playing partner Steph Kyriacou, who had recorded an ace of her own at the eighth on Friday, struck her tee shot to within a couple of inches of the pin.

Rhodes' effort shortly afterwards was tracking just to the left of the cup, but her ball collided with Kyriacou's and deflected into the hole.

The 23-year-old said: "I hit a really good eight iron, right where I wanted it to. I wasn't expecting it to go in so I just picked up my tee and I heard everyone going crazy.

"It was more loud than usual so I knew something had happened. Then we just walked up to the green and it was in the hole.

"I had no idea it hit Steph's ball until I just saw the video, so that's unbelievable."

Rhodes was one of four English players who were within six shots of Yamashita's lead at the end of the third round.

Georgia Hall, the 2018 champion, ended alongside Rhodes in a tie for 19th place, while pre-tournament favourite Lottie Woad was three shots better off to finish in a tie for eighth place.