Crowded Leader Board Marks First Day of U.S. Women's Open

The long march to the winner’s circle at the 80th U.S. Women’s Open Presented by Ally began Thursday with a logjam atop the leader board at Erin Hills as Rio Takeda, Yealimi Noh, Jinhee Im, Angel Yin, Julia Lopez Ramirez and 2020 champion A Lim Kim opened with rounds of 4-under-par 68.

The challenges of Erin Hills lurked quietly behind the gently rolling terrain, especially in the demanding collection areas surrounding the brilliant green complexes. Many players got on a roll in the first round only to find Erin Hills whisper back, Oh, no you don’t. And that helped bunch up the leader board.

But the hearty half-dozen in the lead played fabulous golf. They needed to. More than 50 players are within four strokes of the top spot.

RELATED VIDEO CONTENT: Condensed Round 1 Highlights

“This is a major tournament, so before I came here, I was very much excited and very happy to join this,” said Takeda, who started on No. 10 and packed all her excitement into nine holes beginning on No. 14, making six birdies and two bogeys in that stretch.

“During the play, I really agree that patience is very important,” she said about the complete test of the U.S. Women’s Open.

Noh closed strong. She was sitting at even par then made a birdie on No. 13 followed by an eagle on the par-5 14th hole and another birdie on No. 18.

“Yeah, it was a very solid day,” said Noh. “Hit a lot of fairways, hit a lot of greens. Didn't chip around too much, so that made it more simple. U.S. Opens are always very grand, and coming in, Erin Hills definitely lived up to the expectations. Everything's big – the fairways, the walks, need big drives, but it's an incredible golf course.”

Im opened with nine consecutive pars then birdied four of the next five holes in a bogey-free round. And Kim, who also played the inward nine first, made only one bogey and played a six-hole stretch 4 under par beginning on No. 16.

Yin made birdies on the two holes that played the most difficult on Thursday – Nos. 8 and 9 – as she made five birdies from No. 8 through No. 16 to get to 4 under par. After a bogey on No. 17, she capped her round with another birdie on the final hole.

Christo Iwai, Nasa Hataoka, Chiara Tamburlini, Youmin Hwang and Yui Kawamoto are one stroke off the lead at 69.

Lydia Ko, who needs the U.S. Women’s Open to join a select group with four different LPGA major championship titles, was another who felt the sting of Erin Hills. She played the back nine first and turned in 36 but made a double bogey 7 on No. 1, then rallied to play the final seven holes 1 under par to shoot a 73.

Yuka Saso, who is trying to be the first to successfully defend her U.S. Women’s Open title since Karrie Webb in 2001, and also join Babe Zaharias, Susie Berning, Hollis Stacy and Annika Sorenstam as three-time winners, is at 74.

Rolex Rankings No. 1 Nelly Korda is at 72.

On Friday, the field of 156 will be cut to low-60 and ties. Players like Saso will be looking to clear that bar. Meanwhile, those at the top will be jockeying for position going into the weekend. This much was clear after Day 1 of the U.S. Women’s Open: No one is going to run and hide from this field. The stage is set for a fight to the finish.

Notables

• The first ball off No. 1 was struck at 6:45 a.m. by amateur Kary Hollenbaugh of New Albany, Ohio, while the opening tee shot off No. 10 was played by amateur Vanessa Borovilos of Canada.
  
  
• Yani Tseng, who has not played in the U.S. Women’s Open since 2016, was one under par after seven holes but rode the roller coaster the rest of the way, making six bogeys and two birdies over the last 11 holes to finish at 3-over-par 75.
  
  
• The front nine played more than a stroke and a half harder than the back nine. Seven of the eight holes that played the most over par are on the front side, led by the 411-yard, par-4 eighth hole followed by the 139-yard par-3 ninth hole.

Quotables

“I’m happy with the way I played, but I struggled with my speed control on the greens. I haven’t putted greens this fast in nine years.” – Yani Tseng, who last played the U.S. women’s Open in 2016

“Yeah, feel like I had a pretty hot start, but then struggled a little bit on the front nine. Just felt like it was harder and more wind I guess for a couple holes. So struggled a little bit in there but it really felt like a major.” Maja Stark

“My shots were not that great, but I was saved by good putting. I did very good on the first half, but that last half I struggled. It seems like it was a completely different person playing.” Hinako Shibuno, the 2019 AIG Women’s Open champion

“This is a tough course, and so that while we are working on the practice round I talked with the caddie and then we kind of separated, this is where that I have to attack and this is a place where I defend myself. We were able to, well I was able to play the way that we planned.” Nasa Hataoka

“Somebody told me, ‘A Lim, what do you want to win?’ I said U.S. Open because there is long history and a very, very hard course setting. Then U.S. Open winner, like great shot, great putter, great management of everything, everything is very important. So I think U.S. Open is number one in the tournaments.” A Lim Kim