EDMONTON, Alberta — Miyu Yamashita rebounded from a bogey on the par-3 17th with a birdie on the par-4 18th to take a six-stroke lead in the LPGA Women’s Open in a bid for a wire-to-wire victory.
Yamashita shot a 5-under 65 in calm conditions to get to 19-under 191 at Royal Mayfair, the tree-lined layout – and mosquito hot spot after record summer rain – tucked in a bend in the North Saskatchewan River.
“I like this course,” Yamashita said through a translator.
The 25-year-old Japanese player – one of professional golf’s shortest players at 4-foot-11 – won the Meijer LPGA Classic in June in Michigan after taking the Women´s British Open and Maybank Championship last season as the rookie of the year.
A stroke ahead after an opening with a course-record 62, Yamashita had a 64 to open a five-shot lead. She has only 79 putts in three rounds.
“My feeling so good,” she said according to AP.
Gina Kim (64) and Yuri Yoshida (66) were tied for second at 13 under, a shot ahead of Jennifer Kupcho (64) and two ahead of Somi Lee (65).
“I think this course is tough but it´s fair,” Kim said. “And if you can capitalise on the ones in the fairway, you´re usually in a pretty good spot, which is what I´ve been trying to do.”
Aphrodite Deng, the 16-year-old amateur who won the 2025 US Girls´ Junior, was the top Canadian, shooting 63 to get to 10 under. She was born in Calgary.
“I wasn´t really counting like how low I was shooting,” Deng said. “I was just trying to play as best as I can.”
