Japan’s Yuna Nishimura calmly closed out the first LPGA Tour win of her career on Sunday, shooting a final-round, 5-under-par 66 at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship in Rogers, Ark.
Nishimura totaled 21-under 192 over 54 holes for the victory, securing a five-stroke margin over three golfers who tied for second.
Arkansas has been kind to Nishimura for some time now. One of the 26-year-old’s previous highest finishes, third place, came in this same tournament in 2023. Her other third-place finish came in the 2024 HSBC Women’s World Championship.
“I still can’t believe it,” Nishimura said. “I still shake my (head). But, yeah, I’m proud of myself and, yeah, I’m super happy.”
Nishimura had a five-stroke lead coming into the day but got off to a slow start with two bogeys over her first six holes at Pinnacle Country Club.
Any illusion of her faltering quickly faded away as she rallied for birdies on Nos. 8 and 11, and she essentially put the win away when she sank an eagle on No. 14 and followed that up with a birdie on the next hole for good measure.
“I was kind of debating on the distance, but I told myself to go aggressive until the very end and I went for it,” Nishimura said of the eagle.
“The second half (of the round was) going to be when I had to kind of go aggressive, so I kind of went for it and it all worked out.”
She coasted to the finish line from there, ending the tournament with the same five-stroke advantage she entered the day with.
Japan’s Aki Iwai shot 9-under 62 to shoot up the board into a tie for second with Thailand’s Chanettee Wannasaen (64) and South Korea’s In Gee Chun (65).
Iwai’s bogey-free round included nine birdies, including five in a row at one point.
“So today I was thinking it’s going to be low every player,” Iwai said. “That’s why I have to go. I need more aggressive and that’s why … today was a solid day.”
Wannasaen endured a bogey but had eight birdies on the way to her fourth career top-10 finish.
“I would say this year is really struggle with, but right now, because I think I let everything like go, you know, because I really stressful,” Wannasaen said. “I cry every month, so like last month and this month was the first time I didn’t cry.”
Chun earned her third top-10 placement, balancing seven birdies against a bogey.
“I can’t control other players play, so just try and focus on my game,” Chun said. “… Yuna makes a really great round all three days; I want to just say congrats to her.”
Three more players tied for fifth at 15 under: Americans Jenny Bae (64) and Auston Kim (67) and England’s Jodi Ewart Shadoff (66).
