Yamashita Leads CPKC Women's Open by Five at Royal Mayfair

There are moments in golf when a player simply separates herself from the field, not through caution or careful management, but through sheer, unapologetic brilliance. Miyu Yamashita is delivering one of those moments at Royal Mayfair.

A Course Embraced by River and Woods

Royal Mayfair sits inside a bend of the North Saskatchewan River, its tree-lined fairways creating corridors that demand precision while offering that particular Canadian beauty—forests that feel both protective and imposing, water glimpsed through the branches. It's the kind of setting where golf feels elemental, where you're reminded that this game is best played in dialogue with nature.

Of course, nature at Royal Mayfair this week includes mosquitoes. Players and spectators alike have been contending with the persistent insects, an ever-present reminder that this isn't some sanitized tour stop but a genuine northern venue with all its character intact.

Soo Bin Joo, currently tied for second, captured the experience perfectly: "I like this golf course. I love Canada. It's so pretty. All the trees are so pretty and I'm enjoying it, except for the mosquitoes. Gosh, it's so bad."

Yamashita's Pursuit of Birdies, Not Position

Through two rounds, the 25-year-old Japanese player has posted scores of 62 and 64 to reach 14-under par, establishing a commanding five-shot advantage entering the weekend. At 4-foot-11, Yamashita may be one of the smallest players on tour, but her game looms large over Royal Mayfair.

What strikes me most about Yamashita's approach is her mindset. Rather than sitting on her lead, playing conservative golf designed to protect her position, she's chasing opportunities.

"Rather than focus on the score, I'm thinking about how I can make birdies," Yamashita explained. "I'm really happy. With two rounds to go, I just want to focus on my game and keep playing like this."

This isn't bravado. This is a player who has already won three times on the LPGA Tour since the start of last season, including the Women's British Open and Maybank Championship in 2025, followed by the Meijer LPGA Classic in June. The 2025 LPGA Rookie of the Year knows exactly what she's doing.

The Chasers and a Rising Star

Five shots is a significant margin, but the names at 9-under deserve attention. Kiara Romero, just 20 years old, is playing her first event as an LPGA Tour member after becoming only the second player to earn membership through the LPGA Elite Amateur Pathway, following Lottie Woad's pioneering use of that route last year.

"Honestly, I'm just really grateful to be out here," Romero said. "I just came out here with the mindset to just go out and have fun and just enjoy it and just remember that it's just golf at the end of the day."

That perspective serves young players well. Romero opened with a 64 on Thursday and followed it with a 67, sharing second place with Soo Bin Joo (who fired a Friday 63) and Yuri Yoshida (66).

One shot further back at 8-under sit Ruoning Yin, who stumbled with a closing double bogey to card 67, and Nasa Hataoka. The weekend could yet produce drama, particularly if Yamashita's birdie-seeking approach yields a few bogeys instead.

What Royal Mayfair Demands

Tree-lined courses reward players who can shape their ball through narrow corridors, who trust their lines and commit fully to their swings. Yamashita has done exactly that, finding fairways and attacking pins with the confidence of someone who knows this is her week.

Two rounds remain, and golf's capacity for reversals is well documented. But watching Yamashita navigate Royal Mayfair's riverside beauty, swatting away mosquitoes while stacking birdies, I'm witnessing something special—a player in complete harmony with her game and her surroundings.

Takeaway

Miyu Yamashita's 14-under total through 36 holes at Royal Mayfair represents commanding golf from a player already proven at the highest level. With three LPGA Tour victories including a major championship, she has the experience to convert this lead. The chasers will need something extraordinary to close a five-shot gap, but Royal Mayfair's tree-lined challenges—and those relentless mosquitoes—ensure nothing comes easy in Edmonton.