At the halfway stage of the 2025 AIG Women’s Open, Japan’s Miyu Yamashita leads the field with a commanding total of 133 (−11), followed closely by compatriot Rio Takeda at 136 (−8). This marks the first time since 2012 that players from the same nation hold first and second outright after two rounds in this championship. The last occurrence was at Royal Liverpool, when South Korea’s Jiyai Shin and Inbee Park occupied the top two positions. Yamashita and Takeda, paired together for the first two rounds, will play together again in Saturday’s third round. Yamashita’s bogey-free 65 on Friday was the only such round of the day and is the lowest round of the championship so far. It is also her career-best score in twelve rounds of AIG Women’s Open play, across four appearances.
Yamashita is the first Japanese player to hold the solo halfway lead since Ayako Okamoto in 1984. Okamoto went on to win that year by a record margin. Since 2021, Yamashita has recorded 13 victories on the LPGA Tour of Japan and 43 top-three finishes – 41 of those on the JLPGA, two on the global LPGA Tour. Her best major result to date was a tied-second finish at the 2024 Women’s PGA Championship. Takeda, after leading the first round with Okayama, had her second round featuring an eagle on the par-5 9th, balancing out two bogeys and three birdies. She improved on Thursday’s double-bogey on the same hole by four strokes. This is her second appearance at the AIG Women’s Open.
A group of four players sits tied for third at four under par: Lindy Duncan (USA), Pajaree Anannarukarn (Thailand), Chiara Tamburlini (Switzerland), and Laura Fuenfstueck (Germany). The cut fell at two-over-par (146), with 71 players advancing. Notably, Eri Okayama, who shared the first-round lead, posted a second round 81 and missed the cut. It is the first time since 2013 that a first-round leader has failed to progress to the weekend.
Three amateurs – Carla Bernat, Jeneath Wong, and Paula Martin Sampedro – remain in contention for the Smyth Salver, all at +2 after two rounds. Meja Ortengren is the sole amateur to miss the cut. Seven of the eleven former champions in the field made the cut, including defending champion Lydia Ko. Others advancing include Yani Tseng, Stacy Lewis, Ariya Jutanugarn, Georgia Hall, Anna Nordqvist, and Ashleigh Buhai. Former winners Jiyai Shin, Hinako Shibuno, Sophia Popov, and Lilia Vu will not feature over the weekend. The 16th hole played as the most difficult for the second straight day, averaging 4.61 strokes. The par-5 9th was the easiest, yielding seven eagles and 71 birdies. Australia’s Steph Kyriacou recorded the 14th hole-in-one in AIG Women’s Open history, acing the 8th with a gap wedge from 105 yards. She also eagled the 18th via a holed bunker shot and now sits at level-par.
The average score for round two was 74.42, over a stroke higher than Thursday’s 73.00.
