EDMONTON, Alberta — Miyu Yamashita has put herself in commanding position at the halfway point of the 2026 CPKC Women’s Open, but the Japanese star knows there is still plenty of golf left to play.
Yamashita followed her stunning opening-round 8-under-par 62 with a 6-under 64 on Friday at Royal Mayfair Golf Club, reaching 14-under-par 126 after 36 holes and opening a five-shot lead over a three-way tie for second.
The 25-year-old’s nearest challengers are Soo Bin Joo, Yuri Yoshida and Kiara Romero, all at 9-under 131. Joo delivered the lowest round of the second day with a bogey-free 63, while Yoshida shot 66 and Romero followed her opening 64 with a 67.
Yamashita’s second-round 64 was anything but a cruise.
After beginning with a birdie and a bogey, she caught fire between the fourth and 12th holes, making six birdies during that stretch to pull decisively away from the field.
Rather than trying to protect her advantage, Yamashita said she is concentrating on continuing to create scoring opportunities.
“Rather than focus on the score, I’m thinking about how I can make birdies,” Yamashita said.
That aggressive mindset could prove crucial as the tournament enters the weekend.
A Record-Breaking Start
Yamashita’s five-shot advantage was built on an extraordinary opening 36 holes.
Her 62 on Thursday was a course record at Royal Mayfair and the lowest round of her LPGA Tour career. She carded eight birdies without a bogey and needed only 25 putts.
The opening-round performance also lowered the previous LPGA Tour scoring record at Royal Mayfair by two shots. The previous benchmark was 64, a mark previously reached by Kathleen Ekey, Caroline Hedwall and Lydia Ko.
Yamashita then backed it up with a 64.
That combination has left the rest of the field facing a daunting target: 14-under after two rounds.
The Chasers Are Still Within Reach
Despite Yamashita’s enormous lead, the tournament is far from over.
Joo, Yoshida and Romero are all five shots back at 9-under.
Joo’s second-round 63 was particularly impressive. She hit 15 of 18 greens in regulation and needed only 26 putts, putting herself in the best possible position to apply pressure if Yamashita’s pace slows.
Romero’s story is perhaps the most intriguing.
The 20-year-old American is competing in her first tournament as an LPGA Tour member and immediately finds herself in contention. She followed a 64 in the opening round with a 67 to reach 9-under. Romero earned LPGA Tour membership through the LPGA Elite Amateur Pathway, becoming only the second player to do so after Lottie Woad.
Behind the leading trio are Ruoning Yin and Nasa Hataoka at 8-under.
Meanwhile, Canada’s leading player is 17-year-old Anna Huang, who sits at 7-under after rounds of 65 and 68.
Defending champion Brooke Henderson is at 5-under following a second-round 68. Henderson, a two-time CPKC Women’s Open champion, continues to receive strong support from the home crowd.
World No. 1 Nelly Korda, meanwhile, is at 3-under after a second-round 70, while Lydia Ko is at 1-under.
Yamashita Has Momentum — and a Bigger Prize in Sight
Yamashita entered the CPKC Women’s Open with three LPGA Tour victories since the start of the 2025 season.
She captured the AIG Women’s Open and Maybank Championship in 2025, before adding the Meijer LPGA Classic in June 2026. She was also named the 2025 LPGA Rookie of the Year.
A victory in Edmonton would give her a fourth LPGA Tour title in less than 13 months and further establish her as one of the most dangerous players on the women’s professional golf circuit.
But Yamashita is refusing to look that far ahead.
With two rounds remaining, the five-shot cushion is significant — but it is not a guarantee.
The weekend conditions could also make things more difficult. Joo noted that the sun was coming out and winds were expected to increase, potentially making Royal Mayfair’s greens and fairways firmer and faster.
And then there is the unusual challenge that has followed players throughout the tournament: mosquitoes around the tree-lined course near the North Saskatchewan River.
Several players have complained about the insects, adding another layer of difficulty to an already demanding weekend.
For now, however, the equation is simple.
Yamashita has the lead. The field has two rounds to catch her.
And if she maintains anything close to the form that produced a 62 and 64, the CPKC Women’s Open could be heading toward a very one-sided finish.
The real question now is whether anyone can make Yamashita sweat before Sunday.
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