Hull’s stunning weekend surge wasn’t enough as Yamashita clinched her first major by two shots

Miyu Yamashita held her nerve in blustery conditions at Royal Porthcawl to claim a maiden major title at the AIG Women’s Open, resisting a ferocious charge from Charley Hull to win by two strokes.

The Japanese star began Sunday with a slender one-shot lead and never surrendered top spot, despite Hull threatening to pull off the biggest 36-hole comeback in women’s major history.

Hull had been 11 shots adrift at the halfway mark but roared into contention with a third-round 66, then kept the pressure on with a birdie-laden front nine in her closing round. The English favourite picked up shots at the fifth and sixth before draining a 20-footer at the eighth to get within one of the lead, turning in 33.

Yamashita, playing two groups behind, missed early birdie opportunities but responded when it mattered. A birdie at the eighth and a two-putt gain at the ninth restored breathing space, putting her three clear when Hull couldn’t convert from eight feet at the 10th.

Hull refused to go quietly, rolling in a birdie at the 12th and then sinking a long putt at the 13th. Yamashita, however, produced clutch saves at both the 13th and 14th to keep her advantage intact.

The contest tilted decisively on the 16th. Hull, in trouble from a fairway bunker, could only scramble a bogey. A three-putt bogey at the 17th then ended her hopes, despite Yamashita also dropping a shot at the same hole.

With a two-shot cushion down the last, Yamashita laid up, pitched safely onto the green, and calmly two-putted for par. As the ball dropped, she was mobbed by compatriots, becoming the fourth Japanese woman to win a major in the past two seasons.

“This course was set up very difficult but in brilliant condition,” Yamashita said through a translator. “The support from the fans really pushed me towards victory. This is for them, my family, and everyone watching.”

Hull’s closing 69 left her at nine under, tied for second with Minami Katsu. It marked her fourth runner-up finish in a major without a win — and her second at this championship in three years.

Rio Takeda and A Lim Kim shared fourth place at seven under, while pre-tournament favourite Lottie Woad tied for eighth on eight under alongside Spain’s Paula Martin Sampedro, who claimed the Smyth Salver as leading amateur after an extraordinary run of five straight birdies in a final-round 68.

There was also a moment of pure theatre from England’s Mimi Rhodes, whose tee shot at the par-three fifth deflected off Stephanie Kyriacou’s ball and rolled into the hole for a remarkable ace. Rhodes finished tied-19th on one under, alongside former champion Georgia Hall.

For Hull, the frustration was visible, but her weekend fightback — 11 under for the final two rounds — underscored her ability to challenge on the sport’s biggest stages. For Yamashita, it was a composed, resilient display to secure her first major and announce herself as a formidable force in the women’s game.

The Ladies European Tour now heads to the Centurion Club for the PIF London Championship, where Leona Maguire will defend her title, while the LPGA Tour resumes on 14 August with the Portland Classic in Oregon.