Yuna Nishimura Shoots Career-Low 63 to Lead NW Arkansas Championship

• Yuna Nishimura shot a career-low 63 to lead at the the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship.
• Yu Liu opened with a bogey-free 64 to sit second.
• Nishimura hit all 13 fairways and all 18 greens in regulation.

Yuna Nishimura eagled the par-5 18th for a career-low, 8-under 63 and a one-shot lead after Friday’s opening round of the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G.

The 26-year-old from Japan made six birdies without a bogey at Pinnacle Country Club. She found all 13 fairways and all 18 greens in regulation, leading after a round for the first time in her LPGA career.

“I really went for the last putt,” Nishimura said. “I wanted to make it so I kind of went aggressively and it went in, so I’m hoping it’s going to continue tomorrow.”

Yu Liu is in second place at 7-under after making seven birdies in a bogey-free 64. Her 25 putts tied for the fewest in the field, and the round was her lowest 18-hole score since 2019.

“I don’t think I’ve had a bogey-free round for so long, and definitely very, very happy about how the round went today” Liu said. “We came off three-week break, so just a lot of butterflies going on to be honest. Also didn’t have a good stretch at all leading up to this week, so frankly I worked really hard during the three-week stretch, so glad to see things kind of pay off today.”

Charley Hull and Céline Boutier are among a large group tied for third at 6-under 65, two shots behind Nishimura.

“I felt like I played pretty solid” Hull said. “It was quiete weird. Last week at home I didn’t hit a golf ball for like five days because I was bed-bound I was so poorly. After the Solheim Cup I had the flu, I had sickness and everything, and I nearly pulled out of this week because I felt like I wasn’t prepared enough. And then I come over to America on Saturday. I’ve had like some sponsor stuff up until Monday, Tuesday actually, and got in here late Tuesday night. So it wasn’t really the best prep, but actually I come in here with no expectations and felt like I hit it pretty well tee-to-green and putted decent.”

Nishimura arrived having made six cuts in 15 starts this season. A tie for fifth at the Dow Championship is her lone top-10 finish, while her best individual result is a tie for 17th at the CPKC Women’s Open. She tied for third at Pinnacle in 2023 and said the course resembles those she plays in Japan.

“I’ve been struggling with my shots recently, but today everything went well,” Nishimura said. “It’s day one, but I’m in a good mood. Hopefully it continues.”

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