The 2025 AIG Women’s Open (British Open) became a showcase for the growth of Japanese women’s golf and perhaps a sign of what’s to come on the LPGA Tour.
The top of the leaderboard included several Japanese players, topped by winner LPGA Tour rookie Miyu Yamashita (Titleist Pro V1x). Tying for second with England’s Charley Hull (TaylorMade TP5x) was Minami Katsu (Srixon Z-Star). Tying for fourth was Rio Takeda (Srixon Z-Star). Mao Saigo (Bridgestone Tour B XS) tied for 11th. Nasa Hataoka (Srixon Z-Star) tied for 33rd with countrywoman with Ayaka Furue (Bridgestone Tour B XS).
Of the six, the eldest is Katsue at 27. The average age is 24. So collectively these women are young enough to suggest what happened in the AIG was not a fluke.
There had never been such a defining moment by Japanese golfers in a major, though back in March in the Blue Bay LPGA Japan placed six players in the top 12. Takeda, also an LPGA Tour rookie, won. Furue finished third, Saigo tied for fifth, Yamashita and Hataoka tied for 11, and Katsu tied for 12th.
The Japanese women have been making incremental growth in the last two years on the LPGA Tour to suggest they collectively could be just as much of a force as Korea, Australia and the U.S.
Earlier this year I wrote about the rise of Japan of the LPGA Tour. Saigo, who is in her second year on the LPGA Tour, won the Chevron Championship, claiming her first major, besting a thrilling five-player playoff. So with Yamashita’s win in the AIG Women’s Open, Japan claimed two of the five majors.
“To have so many Japanese players doing so well at the moment is something that keeps me going,” Yamashita said after the win, her first on the LPGA Tour. “For us all to support each other is something that I’m really forward to in the future as well.”
Japanese women have been winning majors in the last few years. Furue won the 2024 Amundi Evian Championship. Yuka Saso (Callaway Chrome Tour X), who failed to make the cut in the AIG Women’s Open, won the 2024 and 2021 U.S. Women’s Open. Hinako Shibuno (Titleist Pro V1), who also missed the cut in the AIG, won the event in 2019. Hisako Higuchi won the 1977 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
Japan has been making strides on the PGA Tour, headed by Hideki Matsuyama (Srixon Z Star XV) winning the 2021 Masters, though collectively it has been nothing like on the LPGA Tour.
Yamashita finished first on the LPGA Tour of Japan money-won list in 2022 and 2023. She served notice of her talent tying for second in the 2024 Women’s PGA Championship. In 15 tournaments this year, she has missed the cut only two times, has four top-five finishes and seven top-10 finishes.
HULL OF A FINISH: In a perfect world, Britain’s Charley Hull would have won the British Open, but she placed second. It was the second time she finished as the runner-up in the last three years and fourth time in a major.
Having overcome a serious virus a few weeks ago that forced her withdrawal from The Amundi Evian Championship midway through the first round, she followed up tying for 21st in the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open won by countrywoman Lottie Woad (Titleist Pro V1).
Woad, who won the Scottish Open in her first tournament since turning pro, had everyone in the golf world excited about her winning a major in her second start. Moreover, it would have completed a season in which she had already won the Irish Open and Scottish Open. Woad was never in striking position of the lead, tying for eighth at four-under par, seven back of Yamashita.
