Round one report

Eri Okayama and Rio Takeda surged to the top of the AIG Women’s Open leaderboard on an opening day dominated by Japanese players at Royal Porthcawl.

Okayama and Takeda each carded 67s to share the overnight lead on 5-under-par, a shot clear of compatriot Miyu Yamashita.

Three more of their fellow countrywomen, Shiho Kuwaki, Mao Saigo and Chisato Iwai, are among a cluster of players on 3-under-par, a group also including In Gee Chun and Mimi Rhodes.

Home favourite Darcey Harry and world number one Nelly Korda are among those at 2-under-par, while the in-form Lottie Woad finished level par – a shot clear of defending Champion Lydia Ko.

But on a day of variable weather on the Welsh coast, it was those from the land of the rising sun who shone brightest.

Japanese pair hit the front

Neither Okayama nor Takeda are overly familiar with links golf. This is Okayama’s first appearance at the AIG Women’s Open since her debut in 2018 while Takeda made her debut last year and missed the cut.

Okayama may have been forgiven, therefore, for fearing the worst after opening with a bogey – but what followed was exemplary.

Five birdies before the turn saw her shoot up the leaderboard and she added another at 17, a superb second shot setting up a chance she ruthlessly seized.

Okayama made par down the last to become the first in the clubhouse on 5-under-par but she was not alone for long as Takeda mounted her own charge.

The 22-year-old, who tied for second at this year’s US Women’s Open, flew out of the traps with a magnificent chip-in from greenside rough for a birdie at the 1st.

More followed at the 2nd and 6th but her momentum was halted with a damaging double-bogey 7 at the par-5 9th, a hole at which plenty of others made gains.

Takeda bounced back in style, showing her mettle with four more birdies down the back nine, while she came close to another remarkable hole out at 16, missing the flag by a whisker.

Yamashita was another to threaten a champagne moment, her tee shot at the par-3 5th coming to a stop a couple of feet to the right of the cup.

That led to the second of four straight birdies before an eagle at 9 took her into the lead. A bogey at 17 cost her a share of the overnight lead but she remains very nicely placed.

Kuwaki, Saigo and Iwai, meanwhile, had the toughest of the day’s conditions as part of the early morning groups, but coped admirably to sit two back.

Rhodes leads British charge

Mimi Rhodes learned her golfing trade over the Bristol Channel at Burnham & Berrow, and made a confident start to her first appearance in her home major.

An eagle at the 9th saw her hit the turn at 3-under and that is where she remained, with two bogeys cancelling out a pair of birdies down the stretch.

Rhodes may be close to home but no-one is closer than Darcey Harry, the Royal Porthcawl member who enjoyed an excellent opening round.

Harry claimed in the build-up she has never scored a round in her hundreds of previous trips but will be pleased with 70, a birdie at 17 – her fourth of the day – bringing a particularly wide grin and plenty of greenside approval from the locals.

Georgia Hall, the Champion in 2018, sits on one-under while Woad had an up-and-down round on her way to level-par.

A nerveless birdie at the 1st got her up and running while a brilliant putt from the fringes of the 6th green brought huge cheers from the sizeable crowds following the progress of a trio also containing Champions Lilia Vu and Ko.

But Woad’s card also contained four bogeys – one more than she made over 72 holes in her ISPS HANDA Women’s Scottish Open triumph at Dundonald last week – and she ended where she started.

Charley Hull had an even more contrasting round. She was 3-over after her first three holes, with a double bogey at the 2nd, but caught fire with four consecutive birdies to move into the red.

Hull faded towards home, however, with four straight bogeys, though a birdie at the last brought her back to one-over.

Chun among cluster well placed

In Gee Chun has won three of the five women’s majors available but not yet this one, coming closest when she lost a dramatic play-off to Ashleigh Buhai in 2022.

The Korean started with a round of 69 in her latest attempt, a huge birdie putt at 10 the highlight, to sit alongside the aforementioned Japanese trio, as well as Rhodes, Ina Yoon, Alexa Pano, Manon De Roey, Emma Spitz and Laura Fuenfstueck at 3-under.

Korda is lurking just a shot behind that group, a birdie at the last helping the American end on a high, while Jeeno Thitikul, Korda’s nearest challenger in the world rankings, is also 2-under.

Thitikul may be wondering what might have been, however, after following a magnificent long-range birdie putt at 15 with consecutive bogeys.

The two most recent Champions, Ko and Vu, both have work to do. Each showed moments of magic – Ko almost holing from the rough on 17 and Vu coming close to an ace on 15 – but will start 1- and 2-over-par respectively.

Amateurs make steady starts

The race for the Smyth Salver looks set to be an exciting one, with little to choose between the four amateurs in the field after the opening round.

Paula Martin Sampedro, Jeneath Wong and Carla Bernat all carded level-par 72s with Meja Ortengren just two shots back.

Wong had a particularly entertaining round which made her captivating viewing for the morning arrivals at Royal Porthcawl.

She escaped thick rough to save par at the 5th before more par-3 magic on the 8th, rolling in a putt from six feet after a brilliant tee shot.