Yuna Nishimura celebrated her inaugural victory on the LPGA Tour by dominating the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship from start to finish, while England’s Lottie Woad was forced to abandon her round partway through the final day. Entering the concluding round at Pinnacle Country Club, Nishimura already held a comfortable five‑stroke cushion after posting consecutive rounds of 63. She extended that advantage with a solid five‑under‑par 66, ultimately sealing a five‑stroke win.
The 26‑year‑old Japanese star highlighted the 14th hole, a par‑five, with an eagle and rounded out the day with a mix of five birdies and two bogeys, pulling away from a tightly packed group that included Aki Iwai, Chanettee Wannasaen and In Gee Chun, all of whom finished tied for second place. "Holding a five‑shot lead can feel like a heavy burden, but I trusted my game and kept pressing forward," Nishimura reflected. "I’ve missed a lot of cuts this season, so winning this event is a huge surprise and truly a dream come true." Iwai had briefly threatened to overtake the lead, stringing together six birdies in seven holes and posting a flawless 62.
Wannasaen (64) and Chun (65) each finished at 16 under par, while England’s Jodi Ewart‑Shadoff trailed just one stroke behind them, sharing fifth place after three straight rounds of 66. Other notable moments included Yealimi Noh’s first career LPGA Tour ace on the 15th hole, a nine‑iron from 136 yards, and Mao Saigo’s impressive seven‑iron shot from 159 yards that found the cup on the par‑three third.
Lottie Woad, who started the day six strokes off the lead, found herself five over par early in her round and withdrew after an illness struck, following an errant drive that landed out of bounds on the 14th hole. Her Solheim Cup teammate, Julia Lopez Ramírez, finished seven strokes behind the leader, sharing eighth place, while Charley Hull slipped to a tie for 22nd after posting a 70 in the final round. In a parallel story on the Ladies European Tour, South Africa’s Casandra Alexander clinched her third LET title – and her second in just a month – by winning the Buccellati Ladies Italian Open by three strokes.
Alexander, a five‑time runner‑up on the LET this season, carded a three‑under‑par 69 on the final day at Golf Club Milano, edging out Germany’s Sophie Hausmann and American rookie Anna Morgan. Her final round featured an eagle, four birdies, a bogey and a double‑bogey, capping a remarkable week that followed her triumph at the KPMG Women’s Irish Open the previous month. "I’m pleased I didn’t have to wait as long for this win as I did for the last one," Alexander said. "My game feels right for winning tournaments, and I’m excited about the rest of the season and the chances ahead." Alexander began the final day tied for the lead, fell four shots back after five holes, but rebounded with an eagle on the par‑five ninth and three birdies in the closing four holes to pull away from the field.
Her victory solidifies her lead atop the LET Order of Merit, extending her margin over Anna Huang as the season draws to a close. Looking ahead, the LPGA Tour will head to Hawaii for the Lotte Championship at Ewa Beach on Oahu, with live coverage kicking off Friday at 1 a.m.
on Sky Sports Golf. Meanwhile, the Ladies European Tour’s next stop is the Aramco Korea Championship in early October, where Hyo‑Joo Kim returns as the defending champion.
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