Japanese golfer Miyu Yamashita speaks at the Japan National Press Club in Tokyo on Aug. 5, 2025, following her victory at the Women’s British Open. (Kyodo)
TOKYO (Kyodo) — Women’s British Open winner Miyu Yamashita on Tuesday credited her breakthrough victory to her father’s coaching and support, as well as an unshakable belief in her own playing style.
The LPGA Tour debutant, who turned 24 on Saturday, led by three strokes at the halfway point of the tournament at Royal Porthcawl in Wales before surviving a difficult third round en route to her two-shot win.
Yamashita said she had been inspired to win a major by watching compatriot Hinako Shibuno’s 2019 British Open triumph and realized the dream after working with her father and coach Masaomi ahead of the final round at the blustery links course.
“Of course my technique is better (than his),” she quipped at a press conference in Tokyo. “He does play golf, but his score is somewhere around 100, and I’ve been better since I was little.”
Yamashita said their professional relationship had not always been smooth, but she kept faith in her father’s coaching.
“In the end, his advice has been right,” she said. “I think he’s a very good teacher.”
Yamashita said she was able to “pay back” the support she received from her mother’s home prefecture of Ishikawa, as well as neighboring Toyama, where Masaomi was raised, both of which were affected by the powerful earthquake that struck the Noto Peninsula and surrounding areas on Jan. 1, 2024.
Her maiden LPGA title also eased some of the disappointment from last summer’s Paris Olympics, when she missed out on a medal and finished fourth after hitting a double bogey late in the final round.
“I was really frustrated at the time,” she said. “But that motivated me to build on the experience, and aim to win an overseas tournament, specifically. I feel I’ve managed to improve since. My short game wasn’t good at the time.”
Standing 150 centimeters, Yamashita said her small stature prevented her hitting the ball as far as some of her rivals, but her victory showed there was more to succeeding in golf.
“While I haven’t pursued distance, I’ve valued accuracy,” she said. “I thought I could compete on the technique side. I’m sure junior golfers can also win in the future at overseas tournaments by honing their short game and shot accuracy.”
Yamashita said she was encouraged by the strong performances by other Japanese players at the British Open, as well as the rising standard of play on the Japan Ladies Professional Golfers’ Association Tour.
While her major victory has put her under the spotlight and rocketed her to sixth in the latest world rankings, Yamashita said she was already focused on her next goal.
“I’m always concentrating on the tournament right in front of me,” she said. “I would certainly like to be ranked first in the world one day, but only as the result of doing the things I need to do.”
