Golf-Woad's magic missing as Okayama, Takeda lead Women's Open

FILE PHOTO: May 30, 2024; Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA; Lottie Woad (ENG) hits a tee shot on the fifteenth hole during the first round of the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-USA TODAY Sports/File Photo

PORTHCAWL, Wales (Reuters) -England's Lottie Woad endured a frustrating start to the AIG Women's Open as Japan's Eri Okayama and Rio Takeda topped the first-round leaderboard at a sunny Royal Porthcawl on Thursday.

An astonishing July, which culminated in Woad winning the Scottish Open in her first event as a professional, had made the 21-year-old favourite for the year's final major.