Yamashita beats – Miyu Yamashita needed a mental reset after Lottie Woad’s three-foot par attempt grazed out in regulation, then the Japanese star sealed the Meijer LPGA Classic with a three-footer on the first extra hole at Blythefield Country Club.
BELMONT, Mich. — The moment felt small, but it decided everything.
In regulation at the Meijer LPGA Classic. Lottie Woad’s three-foot par attempt on the closing stretch lippped out and left the door open for a playoff. Miyu Yamashita took it through the very next turn. producing an 8-under 64 to finish at 17-under 271 at Blythefield Country Club and force the extra holes.
Five strokes behind third-round leader Jing Yan and four shots back of Woad entering the final day. Yamashita didn’t treat the target like a burden. She played the week the same way she always said she would—hole by hole. After her round. the 24-year-old Japanese player explained she wasn’t looking that far ahead: “I didn’t think about like win today. ” Yamashita said. “I just focused on playing just like every round. My putting was solid today and I was able to put together a really good round.”.
Yamashita’s day included the kind of key strike that turns seasons. She birdied the par-5 18th in regulation—and did it again to reach the playoff. When the playoff finally arrived, she said the switch in her head came quickly. “I really didn’t expect like it’s going to be playoff. but once it did. I was able to reset mentally and focus on the task at hand. ” Yamashita said. “I’m glad I was able to take advantage of the opportunity and turn it into a win.”.
Woad had her own near-miss in regulation. Her 68 included a birdie on the par-3 17th. where she holed out from a bunker. but the 467-yard par-5 18th became the turning point. After the finish, the 22-year-old English player described the feeling of the putt that wouldn’t drop. “Felt like I hit an OK putt,” Woad said. “Obviously, lipped out on the high side.”.
The playoff itself didn’t last long, but it offered a sharp contrast in execution. Both players reached the green in two. Yamashita played first, hitting a flop shot to three feet. Woad then answered with her own pitch from farther back—10 feet past the cup—but she missed the comebacker.
Yamashita sank her three-footer on the first extra hole to win.
The victory was her third on the LPGA Tour, following a collection of success on the JLPGA that included 13 wins. She arrived with momentum from last year, when she won the Maybank Championship and the major Women’s British Open, and she was named the LPGA rookie of the year.
Behind the leaders, the leaderboard showed how tight the tournament remained even as the final story shifted to two players. Wei-Ling Hsu (67) and Yan Liu (67) tied for third at 15 under. Minji Kang (66) and Cassie Porter (70) finished 14 under. Jing Yan carded a 73 to tie for seventh at 13 under.
Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., finished in an eight-way tie for 48th at 4 under. Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., ended in a two-way tie for 62nd at 1 under.
Now the focus moves quickly. The major KPMG Women’s PGA Championship begins Thursday at Hazeltine in Minnesota.
Meijer LPGA Classic Miyu Yamashita Lottie Woad playoff Blythefield Country Club Jing Yan KPMG Women's PGA Championship
So did she actually choke or was it just bad lip-outs? I’m confused.
Mental reset after a ball grazed out?? That seems like golf is basically just getting lucky with rolling and timing lol. Still, congrats to her I guess.
Wait, I thought Lottie Woad won? Like I saw something earlier about Woad taking the lead so now I’m like… what happened to the other strokes? Maybe the article is missing stuff.
Putting was solid so she just walked it in on the first extra hole? That’s wild. Also Blythefield sounds familiar like I’ve heard it in the news before, so I’m assuming this course is famous or something. Anyway, playoff golf always feels like whoever gets the first good roll wins.