Yuna Nishimura celebrated her inaugural victory on the LPGA Tour by delivering a commanding wire‑to‑wire performance at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, while England’s Lottie Woad was forced to retire midway through the final round due to illness. Nishimura entered the final day at Pinnacle Country Club with a comfortable five‑stroke cushion after posting consecutive rounds of 63, and she solidified her dominance with a five‑under‑par 66, ultimately winning by five strokes.
The 26‑year‑old Japanese golfer capped her round with an eagle on the par‑five 14th hole and mixed five birdies with two bogeys across the remaining holes, pulling well ahead of a tightly packed group that included Aki Iwai, Chanettee Wannasaen and In Gee Chun, who all finished tied for second place. Reflecting on the pressure of holding a five‑shot lead, Nishimura said, "A five‑shot lead is a pretty tough situation, but I believed in myself and just kept going until the end. I missed a lot of cuts this year, so for me to win this tournament is a surprise, but it's a dream come true." Iwai had surged into contention after a flawless, bogey‑free 62 that featured six birdies in a stretch of seven holes, but she could not maintain the momentum as Nishimura continued to press forward. Wannasaen posted a 64 and Chun a 65, both finishing at 16 under par, while England’s Jodi Ewart Shadoff rounded out the top five with three consecutive rounds of 66, sharing fifth place.
The tournament also produced several memorable moments beyond the leaderboard. Yealimi Noh recorded her first career hole‑in‑one on the par‑three 15th, striking a nine‑iron from 136 yards directly into the cup. In a similar display of skill, Mao Saigo holed a seven‑iron from 159 yards on the par‑three third, adding excitement for the spectators. Lottie Woad, who began the day six shots off the lead, found herself five over par for the round before withdrawing after an errant drive on the par‑five 14th sent her ball out of bounds, and she subsequently cited illness as the reason for pulling out.
Her Solheim Cup teammate Julia Lopez Ramirez finished seven strokes back, sharing eighth place, while Charley Hull slipped to a tie for 22nd after posting a 70 in the final round. In parallel news on the Ladies European Tour, South Africa’s Casandra Alexander claimed her third LET title – and second in just a month – by edging out a field at the Buccellati Ladies Italian Open. Alexander, who has been runner‑up five times this season, posted a three‑under‑par 69 on the final day at Golf Club Milano, finishing three strokes ahead of Germany’s Sophie Hausmann and American rookie Anna Morgan. The 27‑year‑old’s final round was a rollercoaster of highs and lows: she recorded an eagle, four birdies, a bogey and even a double‑bogey, but managed to hold onto her lead after a dramatic comeback.
Earlier in the round she was four strokes behind the leaders, but an eagle on the par‑five ninth hole brought her level with the pack. She then added three birdies in the closing four holes to distance herself from the competition. Alexander’s triumph reinforces her position atop the LET Order of Merit, extending her lead over Anna Huang as the season enters its decisive phase. She expressed confidence in her recent form, stating, "I'm glad I didn't have to wait for this one as long as I waited for the previous one.
My game’s in the right place to win golf tournaments, so I’m looking forward to the rest of the season and having more opportunities." Looking ahead, the LPGA Tour will shift its focus to Hawaii for the Lotte Championship, set to begin Thursday at Ewa Beach on Oahu. Live coverage is scheduled to start on Friday at 1 a.m. on Sky Sports Golf. Meanwhile, the Ladies European Tour will travel to Asia for the Aramco Korea Championship, taking place from October 8‑11, with Hyo‑Joo Kim returning as the defending champion.
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