\n<\/p>\n
Yamashita assumed control of the tournament with a seven-under-par round of 65 on Friday morning and led from that moment on.<\/p>\n
She briefly shared top spot with playing partner A Lim Kim early in her final round, but the South Korean’s birdie at the second was quickly followed by consecutive bogeys.<\/p>\n
Hull, who propelled herself into contention with a six-under 66 on Saturday, quickly emerged as the main challenger to world number 15 Yamashita.<\/p>\n
They both played their first nine holes in three under par, meaning Yamashita reached the turn three shots clear.<\/p>\n
Hull refused to relent and continued to attack, closing the gap to one shot until a costly trip to a fairway bunker on the 16th.<\/p>\n
A couple of groups further back, Yamashita stayed remarkably composed and was able to limit the damage of her rare errors – superbly saving par with a lengthy putt at the 14th.<\/p>\n
With the knowledge that a bogey on the par-five 18th would be enough for victory, there were some nervous moments when Yamashita found the rough with her first two shots – before a safe chip onto the green set up a par that confirmed she would be the third Japanese winner of the Women’s Open.<\/p>\n
Speaking via a translator at the trophy presentation, she said: “To win such a historic tournament in front of all these amazing fans is such an incredible feeling.<\/p>\n
“To be part of such a moment in history is something very special,” added Yamashita – who collected a winner’s prize of $1.462m (\u00a31.1m).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n