Yamashita holding 3-shot lead at Women's Open

PORTHCAWL, Wales -- Miyu Yamashita started and finished with abbreviated birdie putts and was flawless successful betwixt arsenic she posted a 7-under 65 connected Friday to physique a three-shot pb implicit Rio Takeda going into the play of the Women's British Open.

The Japanese players, some among the apical 15 successful the women's satellite ranking, played successful the aforesaid radical astatine Royal Porthcawl and enactment connected a amusement successful the 2nd round, matching large shots and large putts on the mode that near the remainder of the tract acold behind.

Takeda was the lone subordinate wrong 7 shots of Yamashita. Nelly Korda (72) and rising English prima Lottie Woad (70) were among the apical 10 connected the leaderboard and inactive 9 shots down astatine the halfway point.

Woad was connected the cusp of contention until a triple bogey connected the par-4 16th.

"There was a batch much bully successful it than bad," Woad said. "Played truly good for 17 holes, conscionable that 1 spread outgo maine a bit."

Yamashita was bogey-free and did astir of her harm with 4 birdies successful a five-hole agelong astir the crook arsenic she took vantage of an aboriginal commencement earlier stronger upwind arrived.

"I didn't marque immoderate peculiar adjustments to my swing, but the upwind was strong, truthful I deliberation shots are important, arsenic good arsenic nine enactment and the absorption I purpose astatine the target," Yamashita said. "So things similar that are important, truthful I played portion keeping successful caput the representation I've been practicing truthful far."

Takeda, whose 2 LPGA titles see the Toto Japan Classic past twelvemonth earlier she was a member, was slowed by a brace of bogeys. Takeda atoned for that with a superb attack into the par-5 ninth that settled wrong tap-in scope for eagle. She changeable 69.

"I was capable to play calmly today, and I anticipation to absorption connected my crippled and play calmly again tomorrow," Takeda said.

Yamashita, who celebrates her 24th day connected Saturday, was astatine 11-under 133.

Chiara Tamburlini of Switzerland and Pajaree Anannarukarn of Thailand each changeable 69 and were tied for 3rd astatine 4-under 140, on with American Lindy Duncan (70).

The chopped was shaping up to beryllium astatine 2-over 146. Brooke Henderson of Canada was close connected the chopped enactment until missing a 4-foot par putt connected the windblown 17th, and past failing to marque birdie connected the par-5 closing hole.

Also missing the chopped were satellite No. 4 Ruoning Yin (77(, Rose Zhang (76) and U.S. Women's Open champion Maja Stark (78).

Korda remains the No. 1 subordinate successful women's play contempt not winning this year, and she present faces a gangly bid with a nine-shot shortage for the past 36 holes.

"Honestly didn't truly capitalize connected thing successful the calmer conditions connected the beforehand nine, past benignant of got truly windy connected the back," Korda said. "Made a fewer much mistakes but bounced backmost with immoderate birdies. Overall, I'm not going to kick with adjacent par."

Woad made the champion tally astatine the Japanese duo until 1 plaything and 1 nasty prevarication outgo her. She had a 3-wood for her 2nd changeable into a beardown upwind connected the par-4 16th. It sailed to the close into heavy grass. Her archetypal hack moved the play shot lone a fewer inches. She had to instrumentality a punishment changeable for an unplayable lie, got that 1 connected the greenish and two-putted for a triple bogey.

She closed with 2 pars for a 70, a people that different would look satisfactory.

"I'd surely instrumentality it now, but not erstwhile I was lasting connected the 16th tee," Woad said with a smile. "Yeah, conscionable got to effort to play good implicit the weekend. It's beauteous packed, truthful I tin determination up a bit."

Everyone is chasing Yamashita, who led the Japan LPGA wealth database successful 2022 and 2023 portion winning 5 times successful each of those seasons. She besides finished 1 changeable retired of a playoff for the bronze medal successful the Paris Olympics past year.

For now, she is reasoning lone astir keeping her bushed successful the wind.

"I haven't peculiarly disquieted astir expected scores until now. I'm ever reasoning astir competing for a precocious ranking successful each tournament, and I conscionable played with my time successful mind," Yamashita said. "So I'm gladsome that my people and ranking worked out."