Leona Maguire and Lauren Walsh sit in midfield but well within striking distance after round one of the AIG Women’s Open at Royal Porthcawl in Wales.
After fast starts at both the Evian Championship and last week’s Women’s Scottish Open, Maguire quickly found herself playing catch-up after bogeying her first and fourth holes, but managed to claw her way back to level-par at the turn thanks to birdies on the par-3 fifth and par-5 ninth.
A similarly slow start to the back nine had her back at +2 after another pair of bogeys, but again she refused to back down and birdies on 15 and 18 got her into the clubhouse with a level-par 72.
Walsh began her round shortly after Maguire, and she too made the turn at level-par after trading a single birdie and a single bogey on the front side. Again, like Maguire, it was eerily similar on the back, this time making the single birdie first and following with a bogey shortly after, making 14 pars in her 72 that leaves her tied with Maguire in a share of 51st.
Anna Foster, who successfully navigated Final Qualifying on Monday to book her place in the field, faces an uphill task to earn a weekend tee time after a frustrating day in which she made three birdies, three bogeys, and two doubles to sit tied for 111th at +4.
Much of the early week narrative centred around Lottie Woad, world number one Nelly Korda, and defending champion Lydia Ko, and it was the American who performed best, carding a two-under 70 to occupy a share of 14th, with Woad alongside Maguire and Walsh at level-par, and Ko one further adrift on +1.
Despite claiming four different major winners in the past six years, the Japanese were coming in slightly under the radar, but they own the top three spots on the leaderboard with Rio Takeda and Eri Okayama leading on -5, and Miyu Yamashita in solo third at -4.
After struggling with a back issue in the lead-up to the Championship, Okayama made six birdies in a five-under 67 to hit the front early on.
That score was matched by her compatriot Takeda, who offset a double-bogey seven on the ninth with seven birdies, while three other Japanese players – Chisato Iwai, Mao Saigo and Shiho Kuwaki – are at three-under alongside Alexa Pano, Ina Yoon, Manon De Roey, Mimi Rhodes, Laura Fuenfstueck and In Gee Chun.
“I was able to quickly change my mindset and it was good that I was able to do that,” said Takeda, who has followed an astonishing eight-win season on the LPGA Tour of Japan in 2024 with another victory on the LPGA Tour in March and a runner-up finish at the US Women’s Open.
“I played very consistently and really well today, but it’s only the first day, and you never know what’s going to happen on this course.
“I was in the same group as Yamashita, and she also improved her score, so that was great for her too.”
Yamashita appreciated the opportunity to play with Takeda and hailed the progress made by Japanese players in recent years.
“My pairing with Takeda allowed us to play in [a] good rhythm,” said Yamashita, whose 68 was highlighted by an incredible tee shot at the par-3 fifth. “It’s rare for two Japanese players to play together in a major, so it was great.”
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