Yamashita's Playoff Triumph
Miyu Yamashita Claims Meijer LPGA Classic Title in Dramatic Playoff Victory
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Key Points
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Woad’s regulation finish included a **three-putt bogey at the 72nd hole**—after she had a chance to win with a short par look, her putt **lipped out on the high side**, forcing the playoff.
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Yamashita’s charge to the title was powered by a **nine-birdie, 8-under-par 64**, capped by only one blemish: a **three-putt bogey at the par-3 15th**. She also entered the round listed as the **shortest player on tour (4-foot-11)**.
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On the playoff’s par-5 18th, the decisive sequence came down to distances and shot types: Yamashita **hit a flop shot to 3 feet**, then Woad **hit her pitch about 10 feet past** and missed the comeback putt.
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Yamashita’s emotional and personal context was highlighted after the win: the Golfweek report notes she **got emotional on Father’s Day** while talking about her father, who **also serves as her instructor**—and she said, “This week I had really good feeling, so I’m really happy to win.”
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After coming up short, Woad said she **wishes she had laid up** on the closing par-5 18th in regulation rather than going for it—her third shot from the rough went **past the hole**, leading to the missed short par attempt.
Miyu Yamashita won the Meijer LPGA Classic on Sunday after Lottie Woad's 3-foot par putt lipped out on the final hole of regulation, forcing a playoff at Blythefield Country Club in Belmont, Michigan. Yamashita then closed the deal on the first extra hole, converting a short birdie putt to claim her third LPGA title, according to Associated Press.
The 24-year-old from Osaka, Japan — standing just 4-foot-11, the shortest player on tour — fired a final-round 64, the lowest score of the week. She came in five strokes off the lead to start the day and finished at 17-under par. "This week I had really good feeling, so I'm really happy to win," Yamashita said, per Associated Press.
Yamashita's Nine-Birdie Charge Erases Five-Shot Deficit
Yamashita started Sunday's final round at 9-under par, five strokes behind 54-hole leader Jing Yan. She made four birdies in her first five holes to jump into contention fast. The only blemish on her card was a three-putt bogey at the par-3 15th. She recovered to birdie the 72nd hole and post 17-under, then waited in the clubhouse, according to The Globe and Mail.
Her 64 included nine birdies total. Yamashita ranks 146th on tour in driving distance, but she leads in strokes gained putting at plus-1.23 per round, per LPGA.com. She has also made 134 putts from 10 feet or longer this season, trailing only Minjee Lee on tour.
Woad's Bunker Heroics Couldn't Survive One Bad Swing
Woad looked like the winner heading down the stretch. She holed out from a greenside bunker on the 17th for birdie, taking a one-shot lead at 18-under par. But on the par-5 18th, she hit her second shot into the rough. Her third shot stopped 40 feet away. She two-putted to 3 feet — then lipped out the par try on the high side, according to The Globe and Mail.
"Felt like I hit an OK putt. Obviously, lipped out on the high side," Woad said, per LPGA.com. The 22-year-old English standout later admitted she wished she had laid up on the closing hole rather than going for the green from a bad lie in the rough. Instead, the three-putt bogey dropped her back to 17-under and sent the tournament to extra holes.
A Flop Shot to 3 Feet Ends the Playoff Immediately
The playoff returned to the par-5 18th. Both players reached the green in two. Yamashita executed a high-lofted flop shot to just 3 feet and calmly rolled in the birdie putt. Woad hit her pitch about 10 feet past the hole and missed the comeback putt, handing Yamashita the title on the first extra hole, per Associated Press.
Wei-Ling Hsu and Yan Liu shared third place at 15-under par. Jing Yan, who led by one heading into Sunday, finished T7 after a final-round 73, per Associated Press. The win moves Yamashita to third in the Race for the CME Globe season-long points standings, according to the live research briefing.
A Father's Day Win and a Major on the Horizon
The victory carried extra meaning. Yamashita got emotional after the win while talking about her father, who also serves as her swing instructor. The win came on Father's Day, a detail noted by Golfweek. "I just focused on playing every round," she said. The timing made the moment personal as well as professional.
The Meijer LPGA Classic also served as the final event before the KPMG Women's PGA Championship at Hazeltine. Yamashita already won the 2025 AIG Women's British Open and enters the major as a strong contender. The tournament raised $1.5 million for the Meijer Simply Give hunger relief program, pushing the charity's all-time total past $100 million, per PR Newswire.
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