Yuka Saso leaned heavily on her putting skills to navigate a challenging start at the U.S. Women’s Open on Thursday. While many top players struggled, Saso managed to finish with a 2-under 68, a score that felt even lower amidst the day’s hardships.
Starting on the back nine at Lancaster Country Club, Saso made three crucial par putts and two medium-length birdie putts. She finished her round with a bogey at the 18th green, putting her one shot ahead of Andrea Lee, Wichanee Meechai, and newly crowned NCAA champion Adela Cernousek.
The top 10 players from the women’s world ranking averaged a score of 75.5, with Nelly Korda’s 80 being the most shocking. Korda, the world No. 1, made a 10 on her third hole and added four more bogies, matching her highest round as a professional. “Not a lot of positive thoughts, honestly,” Korda admitted, reflecting on her rough day. “Just a bad day at the office.”
Others also had tough rounds. Rose Zhang scored a 79, while Lydia Ko and Brooke Henderson each shot 80. The windy conditions and firm greens contributed to an average score of 75.2 for the field, with over 900 scores of bogey or worse recorded. Lexi Thompson, likely playing in her final U.S. Women’s Open, shot 78 after a series of missteps starting her back nine.
In contrast, amateurs shone brightly. Cernousek, who held her nerve to finish under par, shared her excitement about seeing her name on the leaderboard. “I was like, ‘Wow!’ I was watching every leaderboard on the course,” she said. Another amateur, 15-year-old Asterisk Talley, also impressed, despite a triple bogey on the par-5 seventh hole. She ended her round with three birdies and six pars over the next nine holes.
Saso credited her putting for her strong performance, saying, “I made really good putts. I think I was more lucky than playing good.” Saso has a unique opportunity this week to become the only Women’s Open champion to win under two different flags, having switched her citizenship from the Philippines to Japan before turning 21.
Despite the good start, Saso remains focused, noting the difficulty of the course and conditions. “There’s so much golf left,” she said. “The golf course is very difficult and the conditions are very tough, especially with the wind with it swirling and when it’s blowing 15 mph with the firm greens and fast greens.”
The first round at Lancaster showed just how tough the U.S. Women’s Open can be, even for top-ranked professionals. Saso’s strong putting and the impressive performances by amateurs highlight the unpredictable nature of this major championship. There’s still plenty of golf left to play, and the conditions promise to keep testing the field.
