Australia’s Stephanie Kyriacou has walked away from the AIG Women’s Open with a hole-in-one and an assist as Japan’s Miyu Yamashita won by two shots at Royal Porthcawl in Wales on Sunday to clinch an emotional first major title.
Kyriacou, who was the best of the Australians coming in a tie for eighth, made an ace of her own during the second round but played a helping hand in the final round as playing partner Mimi Rhodes remarkably ricocheted her ball off Kyriacou’s and into the cup at the par three fifth.
The Australian came ever so close to putting a second one on her card for the weeks with her tee shot stopping only inches from the hole for a certain birdie.
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Rhodes’ shot appeared set to roll past the hole before colliding with Kyriacou’s ball and recreating a move from a billiards table, deflecting into the pot.
The Englishwoman looked unsure about what had happened as they heard the cheers of the crowd, but eventually raised her arms in celebration and Kyriacou gave her a hug.
On commentary, former Tour professional Ladies European Tour professional Henni Zuel, said: “Unreal! I hope she buys Steph a nice present. Something more than a drink is deserved there.”
After their rounds, both players revealed that they were unaware of what had happened until they saw the replay once they had walked off the golf course.
“Yeah, I hit a really good 8-iron, hit it right where I wanted it to. Yeah, I wasn’t expecting it to go in, so I just picked up my tee, and I heard everyone going crazy,” Rhodes said.
“Yeah, extra loud than usual, so I knew something had happened. Then we just walked up to the green and it was in the hole. I had no idea it hit Steph’s ball until I just saw the video, so that’s unbelievable.”
Kyriacou meanwhile is claiming the moniker of the luckiest person in golf.
“I am,” she said with a chuckle.
“We actually just watched the video, and it hit my ball, and it went in. So I’m kind of claiming it, even though Mimi is probably not going to say that.”
The freakish occurrence is not unprecedented with Louis Oosthuizen adopting the same route, via JB Holmes’ ball, to make a hole-in-one on the par three 16th at The Masters in 2016.
INCREDIBLE! Aussie Kyriacou hole-in-one! | 00:19
Kyriacou finished seven shots behind Yamashita with a one-under par final round of 71 to reach -4 overall.
The 24-year-old from Sydney made a nightmare start to the final day with a triple bogey seven at the opening hole.
She dropped another shot at the third, but then fought back with five birdies across the remainder of her round to register the second top ten finish of her career at this very tournament.
“The first hole was quite rough. It’s not ideal when you hit your second ball OB, onto the beach,” Kyriacou said.
“I stuck in there, showed some grit, and finished 1-under today. I’m very happy.”
BRIDGEND, WALES – AUGUST 03: Stephanie Kyriacou of Australia tees off on the first hole during the final round of the AIG Women’s Open 2025 at Royal Porthcawl Golf Club on August 03, 2025 in Bridgend, Wales. (Photo by Luke Walker/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
She added: “I think it would have been quite easy to throw it in and be like, oh, F this or whatever, but I got something out of my round.
“I got something out of my day. I’m really proud with how I showed up for the rest of the day.”
Kyriacou finished two shots better than countrywoman Minjee Lee, whose even par final round of 72 put her in a share of 13th at -2.
“Yeah, I feel like that’s probably the worst score I could have had today,” Lee said.
“I felt like I was going pretty well and then just kind of made a silly mistake on 14 (which led to a double bogey).
BRIDGEND, WALES – AUGUST 03: Minjee Lee of Australia tees off on the third hole during the final round of the AIG Women’s Open 2025 at Royal Porthcawl Golf Club on August 03, 2025 in Bridgend, Wales. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
“It was kind of one of those weeks where I was kind of in the middle, like I wasn’t really amazing at one thing or another.
“So it was kind of — you know, I’m not complaining that I’m going to finish 13th or 14th, but yeah, I would have liked to be in the top 10.”
Evian Championship winner Grace Kim endured a tough eight-over par final round of 80 to finish in a tie for 67th at +12.
Minjee Lee almost hit by stray ball! | 00:22
At the top of the leaderboard, Yamashita carded a two-under par final round to hold off a strong challenge from England’s Charley Hull on the Welsh links course.
She finished -11 for the tournament, with Hull and Japan’s Minami Katsu ending in a tie for second place after final rounds of 69 left them on -9.
Just a day after turning 24, Yamashita became the third Japanese woman to win the British Open after Hinako Shibuno in 2019 and Ayako Okamoto in 1984.
She joyously swigged from a bottle of champagne on the 18th green before wiping away tears of joy after sealing her victory.
“To win such a historic tournament in front of all these amazing fans is such an incredible feeling,” Yamashita said.
“The course is set up to be very difficult but also in a brilliant condition. The amount of people supporting me today really pushed me towards the victory and this is for them.”
Miyu Yamashita of Japan poses with her trophy after winning the Women’s British Open golf championship, at Royal Porthcawl Golf Club in Porthcawl, Wales, Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)Source: AP
Yamashita’s previous best performance in a major was a tie for second place at last year’s Women’s PGA Championship.
She survived a stern test of her temperament on the last day after resuming with a one-stroke lead over South Korea’s Kim A-lim.
Having posted a bogey-free 65 on Friday, she had carded a two-over par 74 marred by erratic driving off the tee and struggles on the greens in the third round.
Yamashita recovered her composure on Sunday as she embarked on a relentless march to the trophy.
Prior to this year, Yamashita’s highest finish at the Women’s British Open was 13th in 2022, but she mastered the Porthcawl course in emphatic fashion.
“To be part of such a moment in history is something special,” she said.
“Being my first win is something very special and to celebrate with everyone is an amazing feeling.”
BRIDGEND, WALES – AUGUST 03: Miyu Yamashita of Japan poses for a photo with the trophy following the final round of the AIG Women’s Open 2025 at Royal Porthcawl Golf Club on August 03, 2025 in Bridgend, Wales. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Yamashita is the fourth Japanese major champion in the past two years. Prior to 2024, Japan had just two major champions in the history of the LPGA Tour.
Kim tested Yamashita when she drew level at the top of the leaderboard with a birdie on the second hole.
But Yamashita immediately regained the lead when Kim missed two putts to bogey the next hole.
She moved three shots clear of Kim on the fourth hole with an ice-cool birdie while the South Korean bogeyed.
A three-putt bogey on the seventh left Kim’s title challenge in tatters. Hull made her charge with three birdies in four holes to pull within a stroke of Yamashita.
She had been 11 strokes back at the start of the third round. The largest 36-hole deficit overcome to win any LPGA major all-time is 10 shots, but Yamashita snuffed out any chance of that record being broken.
Japan’s Miyu Yamashita reacts after winning the Women’s British Open Golf Championship, at Royal Porthcawl in south Wales on August 3, 2025. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USESource: AFP
She carded birdies on the eighth and ninth to move three shots ahead. Hull, who finished second at both the British Open and the US Open in 2023, kept fighting.
The 29-year-old dropped in an eight-foot birdie putt at the 12th and guided in another birdie to huge roars on the 14th.
Yamashita’s lead was down to one stroke with five holes left, but as the pressure mounted it was Hull who cracked.
She slumped with bogeys on the 16th and 17th to gift the title to the nerveless Yamashita, who embraced her caddie and punched the air in delight after wrapping up the victory.
