Day 1 of the 2025 AIG Women’s Open delivered classic golf set up as Japan’s Sakura Takeda and Akie Okayama surged into a shared lead with matching rounds of 67 (-5). Their precision play in breezy conditions positioned them atop the leaderboard at Royal Porthcawl Golf Club. The pair navigated the course with contrasting momentum. Okayama, in her first appearance at the championship since 2018, recovered from a bogey at the 1st with five birdies on the front nine. Her closing nine – eight pars and a birdie at 17 – was calm, measured, and mistake-free. The 67 marked her career-best round in the championship by three strokes. Takeda opened with a birdie pitch-in at the 1st and found six more birdies across her card. Her lone error came at the par-5 9th – statistically the easiest hole on the course – here she made double bogey. Still, the round confirmed her growing stature after finishing tied-second at this year’s U.S. Women’s Open.
Also in contention is Miyu Yamashita, whose 68 (-4) featured the lowest front-nine score of the day: 31, built on four consecutive birdies (4–7) and an eagle at the 9th. She joined a leaderboard marked by Japanese consistency – six of the top thirteen players after round one represent Japan. The broader scoring showed that Royal Porthcawl offered opportunities despite gusty intervals. The field average was 73.02, with 50 players returning under-par rounds. 73 of 144 players scored level-par or better, marking one of the more accessible opening days at the AIG in recent years. Still, the course had its teeth. The par 4, 16th played as the most difficult hole with a stroke average of 4.47, yielding only five birdies versus 49 bogeys and nine doubles. The par-5 9th played as the most generous, producing seven eagles and 75 birdies – but also caught out Hannah Green (8) and Cossie Porter (9).
From a historical lens, the data offers a measured reminder: only one of the past 17 champions has led or co-led after round one. Conversely, each of the past five winners started three to five shots behind. Comeback wins remain not only possible but common. Their rounds were part of a broader trend: six of the top 13 players after Thursday’s play were from Japan. For Okayama, this marked her return to the championship after a seven-year absence. Her start – bogey at the 1st – was quickly countered with five birdies on the front nine. A clean back nine, punctuated with a birdie at 17, brought her home in 67, the best AIG round of her career to date. Takeda’s path to five-under was less even, but equally effective. After holing out for birdie at the 1st, she made six more birdies over the round. A double-bogey at the par 5, 9th – despite being the day’s easiest hole – was her only dropped shot. Takeda’s performance follows a strong runner-up finish at the U.S. Women’s Open earlier this year.
Close behind was fellow Japanese player Miyu Yamashita, whose 68 (-4) matched her best score in this championship. After a bogey at the 1st, she went on a tear with four straight birdies from holes 4 to 7, then eagled the 9th to post the day’s lowest front nine – 31 strokes. World No.1 Nelly Korda carded a steady 70 (-2), sitting T14, alongside several others. Korda struggled early with distance control but rallied with birdies at 11 and 14. Scottish Open winner Lottie Woad opened with an E. Her round was largely solid, though a double bogey at the par 4, 5th affected her early momentum, though she stabilised her round across the inward half. Sei Young Kim and Brooke Henderson both posted 69 (-3), positioning themselves cleanly for the second round. Both players managed the breezy afternoon with controlled shot-making and clean cards. The 9th was statistically the easiest hole of the day with a stroke average of 4.51. It yielded seven eagles and 75 birdies. However, it wasn’t without casualties: Hannah Green recorded an eight and Cossie Porter a nine.
In total, the course gave up 50 under-par rounds, and 73 players out of 144 returned level-par or better. The hardest hole was the par-4 16th, which averaged 4.47 and produced just five birdies against 49 bogeys and nine doubles. No player finished the day bogey-free. In the amateur race for the Smyth Salver, Paula Martin Sampedro, Jeneath Wong, and Carla Bernat lead, each carding an even-par 72. History suggests caution: only one of the last 17 champions has led or co-led after round one. As Friday’s wind builds, strategy will be tested – and the lead may shift as the Welsh weather. The cut line after Day 1 projects around +2, but with forecasted gusts up to 25 mph on Friday, that may shift. Players noted how Royal Porthcawl’s exposed layout magnifies wind direction and demands high-level ball flight control.
