Yui Kawamoto claimed her first domestic major title at the “World Ladies Championship Salonpas Cup,” becoming the fifth player from the “Golden Generation” (born in 1998) to win a major. This victory highlights the remarkable depth of this generation, which continues to set new benchmarks in women’s golf.
**Fifth Major Champion from the Golden Generation**
The Golden Generation, known for its extraordinary depth, has added another major winner. Kawamoto secured the title at the season’s first domestic major, the “World Ladies Championship Salonpas Cup,” making her the fifth major champion from this cohort. This achievement sets a new record for the most major winners from a single birth year among Japanese players.
The winning score of 1-over-par marks the first time a tournament on the overall tour has finished over par in three years, since the same event at Ibaraki Golf Club’s West Course in 2023. The difficulty was compounded by strong winds, leading to a fierce battle of endurance.
Kawamoto, tied for the lead at 3-over-par in the final stages, regained sole possession of the lead with a precise third shot on the par-5 17th hole, setting up a birdie. She then sealed the victory with consecutive birdies on the par-4 18th, where she had made a double bogey the previous day, hitting her second shot to within one meter.
Yui Kawamoto (Photo: Shinji Osawa)
This marks her fifth career win and her first major title, making her the fifth player from the Golden Generation to claim a major.
The first major winner from the Golden Generation was Nasa Hataoka, who won the “Japan Women’s Open” in 2016 at age 17 as a high school senior. She shot a tournament-best 68 in the final round to come from four shots back and win as an amateur. Hataoka has since added three more “Japan Women’s Open” titles and one “Japan Women’s Pro” victory, totaling four majors.
The second winner was Hinako Shibuno, who captured the “World Ladies Championship Salonpas Cup” in 2019 by one shot over South Korea’s Bae Seon-woo. Three months later, she famously won the “AIG Women’s Open” for her first major outside Japan.
The third winner was Erika Hara, who won the “Japan Women’s Open” in 2020 by defeating fellow Golden Generation player Sakura Koiwai. Hara followed up with a victory at the “JLPGA Tour Championship Ricoh Cup” later that year and won the “Japan Women’s Open” again in 2023.
The fourth winner was Minami Katsu, who dominated the “Japan Women’s Open” in 2021 with a six-shot victory. She then became the third player in history to win the event in consecutive years, following Hisako Higuchi and Nasa Hataoka.
**Third All-Time in Total Major Wins by Birth Year**
When Katsu won the “Japan Women’s Open,” the Golden Generation had already set the record for the most major champions from a single birth year. No other generation has matched them, and Kawamoto’s victory extends that record.
The second-highest number of major champions from a single birth year is three, shared by five groups: those born in 1951 (Tatsuko Ohsako, Ayako Okamoto, Fusako Nagata), 1962 (Ikuyo Shioya, Akira Nakano, Hiromi Kobayashi), 1985 (Ai Miyazato, Sakura Yokomine, Saiki Fujita), 1995 (Saki Nagamine, Shina Kanazawa, Kotone Hori), and 2003 (Rio Takeda, Haruka Kawasaki, Sora Kamiya). Several birth years have no major winners at all, including 1990, 1991, 1993, 1997, and those from 2004 onward.
In recent years, the Golden Generation has seen many top players move to the U.S. and younger players emerge, leading to a lull in major wins. Kawamoto’s victory is the first major for the Golden Generation since Hara’s win at the “Japan Women’s Open” in 2023, ending a three-year drought. The generation now has a total of 11 major wins.
Among all birth years, the Golden Generation ranks third in total major victories, behind the class of 1945 (led by Hisako Higuchi’s 17 majors) and the class of 1951 (14 wins from Ohsako, Okamoto, and others).
The Golden Generation still boasts players who have not yet won a major, such as Sakura Koiwai (who has a generation-best 12 domestic wins) and Ayaka Takahashi (who has two wins this season). It is very possible that more major champions will emerge from this group in the future.
