Yamashita realises major dream as Young breaks PGA Tour drought

Champion, Miyu Yamashita of Japan speaks to the media following the final round of the AIG Women's Open 2025 at Royal Porthcawl Golf Club. Photo by Morgan Harlow/R&A/R&A via Getty Images

Diminutive Miyu Yamashita held off a back-nine charge from the swashbuckling Charley Hull to win the AIG Women's Open by two strokes and her maiden major title at Royal Porthcawl.

The day after celebrating her 24th birthday, the 4-foot-9-inch Japanese star saw England’s Hull close to within a shot of her lead when she birdied the 14th to go five-under for the day.

Yamashita had been faultless all day, turning her one-shot overnight lead into a three-shot advantage when she birdied the fourth, eighth and ninth.

She never lost her composure in blustery conditions, reeling off par after par before Hull made back-to-back bogeys at the 16th and 17th to fall three behind.

Yamashita dropped her first shot of the day at the 17th and after Hull only parred the last, she closed with a par-five to shoot 70 and win by two shots on 11 under from the English star and her Japanese compatriot Minami Katsu.

"This has been a goal of mine, something I've worked towards my whole life, a dream you could say," Yamashita said after winning €1,279,430 to become the fourth different Japanese major winner in the last two years and the third to win the Women's Open.

"It's been the result of hard work every single day, making changes, making improvements, and to be able to do it now and call myself a champion is a very special thing.”

Having gone into the weekend 11 shots behind Yamashita, Hull was proud of her fourth major runner-up finish.

"I played pretty decent, especially coming into the week and not being very confident," Hull said after a 69.

"It shows you that when you work on your game hard, even over the week of a tournament, you can get your swing feels and especially being ill lately, I'm pretty proud of myself."

Leona Maguire's challenge fizzled out as she followed rounds of 72, 73 and 75 with a windblown 79 to finish joint 63rd (€19,338) on 11 over.

In the Wyndham Championship, Cameron Young claimed his maiden PGA Tour win, carding a two under 68 to win by six strokes from Mac Meissner on 22 under.

Seamus Power one-over 71 left him 44th on four under at Sedgefield Country Club.

At 130th in the FedEx Cup standings he misses the first playoff event for the top 70 this week, meaning he must chase his card awarded to the top 100 in the Fall Series.

Rory McIlroy, meanwhile, has opted to skip the FedEx St Jude Championship. He hinted late last year that he would likely skip and event where he was second last in 2024.

Meanwhile, Mark Power’s level par 71 left him 71st on one over in the Farmfoods Scottish Challenge, 20 shots behind Scot Daniel Young, ahead of this week's Irish Challenge at Killeen Castle.

In Aberdeen, American Bo Van Pelt birdied the first playoff hole to beat South Africa's Darren Fichardt to claim the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship at Trump International after they’d tied on three-under.

Damian Mooney was 25th on 10-over after an 80 while Gary Murphy was two shots further back in 31st after a 70.