Adam Scott’s encouraging start at Torrey Pines.

Adam Scott in action today – photo courtesy of USGA Jeff Haynes

A 90-minute delay for fog prior to play getting underway on day one of the US Open at Torrey Pines will result in round one not being completed until Friday morning.

36 players were caught on the golf course when play was brought to a halt for darkness at 7.51pm California time.

When play was halted, all but two of the Australians in the field (Cameron Smith and Matt Jones) had completed their rounds, Adam Scott leading the way at 1 under par and just three from the lead held by Russell Henley and Louis Oosthuizen, Oosthuizen, though, still has two holes to play.

Smith is at even par and has two holes to play but he has found the fairway bunker at the 17th and might struggle to make par and Matt Jones, like Smith, is currently playing his 17th hole at 1 over with a 4 footer for par to negotiate when he returns.

Scott fought back from a slow start to his round after bogeys at his second and third holes had him on the back foot early. He birdied the par 5 9th after a sand save from the green-side bunker and then birdied the 17th from 20 feet.

He found the fairway bunker from the tee at the last but laid up and then converted an eight-footer for birdie to get himself into red figures for the first time. The round of 70 has him well placed ahead of an early morning round on day two.

Smith parred his first 14 holes before a bogey at the 15th but he bounced back immediately with a birdie from 20 feet at the 16th before being forced from the golf course when on the 17th.

Wade Ormsby did well in just his second US Open to be round in 1 over par 72 along with Matt Jones, Brad Kennedy and Marc Leishman are at 3 over after rounds of 74 and Stephen Allan opened with a round of 80.

Leishman bogeyed three of his last four holes after being well enough placed until late in his round, no doubt a huge disappointment given his love affair with the Torrey Pines layout.

Wade Ormsby – recorded a solid 1 over 72. Photo courtesy of USGA/ Chris Keane

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Scott and Leishman’s Torrey Pines records offer hope

Adam Scott with an admirer this week – photo courtesy of  USGA / Darren Carroll

Of the seven Australians to tee it up at this week’s US Open at Torrey Pines, two, Adam Scott and Marc Leishman, stand out as players more than capable of handling the demands of the South Course layout at the public facility outside of San Diego.

Adam Scott will play his 20th US Open, although it is only his second such event at this particular venue but what he can boast is an impressive but restricted record in PGA Tour events at the clifftop layout high above the Pacific Ocean.

Scott has played the tour event, the Farmers Insurance Open, on only two occasions, in 2019 and 2021 and, on both occasions, he has performed with distinction.

Scott finished runner-up to Justin Rose in 2019 and earlier this year finished a solid 10th place behind Patrick Reed. In five of his eight competitive rounds in those events, he has recorded rounds inside the 60’s and although the US Open will offer a significantly more demanding layout than that at the Farmers Insurance Open, he will no doubt enjoy the fact that he has enjoyed good form on the course.

Scott is the only one of the Australians in this week’s field to have played the historic 2008 US Open won by Tiger Woods who managed to play 90 holes that week on almost one leg to defeat Rocco Mediate in a playoff.

At that 2008 US Open, the only other occasion other than his two Farmers Insurance appearances that Scott has played at Torrey Pines, he finished 26th, a final round of 70 standing out on a week of carnage for so many.

Scott knows however that in order for him to better his previous best US Open finish of 4th behind Jordan Spieth at the 2015 US Open at Chambers Bay, he will have to overcome a very difficult USGA set-up this week.

“Scoring is going to be tough,” said the 40 year old Queenslander on Wednesday. “I think it’s possible that you see, like often at a U.S. Open, a big dispersion in scores. I think there’s good scores out here, but you’ve got to be playing incredibly well tee to green.

“It is always advantageous playing from the short grass and hitting greens. I think more than most places we play on TOUR, somewhat like Riviera, if you’re greens in regulation you’re way in front of the game because it’s tricky around the greens and it’s tough putting, too. Easy pars at a U.S. Open sound good.

“I actually feel like coming off Memorial I did some nice work here in southern California on the game last week, so the confidence is up from where I finished at Memorial, which is a good thing. Obviously, the results have been few and far between, but I feel really good about where the ball-striking has kind of found itself, and that’s what’s been letting me down.

“I really don’t know how everyone else is feeling, but I certainly was disappointed at the PGA. I’ve worked hard the last month or so to kind of get myself in a place where I believe I can contend and win this major.

Leishman has a great record at Torrey Pines. He did not play the 2008 US Open as he was not at that stage a member of the PGA Tour but he did win the Farmers Insurance Open in 2020 and has been twice runner-up in other appearances there.

Like Scott, Leishman believes his game is in good shape ahead of this week’s examination.

“The game is feeling good,” said the Virginia Beach based Victorian.

“It’s a course I like. As far as U.S. Open courses, it’s as good as it’ll get for me. But it’s still going to be really tough. The confidence is good, but I’m never one to go into a U.S. Open overconfident by any means.”

Leishman is very much aware of the need for patience this week and is aware of the strategy needed for success at a US Open.

“On any U.S. Open I think it’s a case of hitting fairways. It always is. But probably even more important than that is leaving yourself in good positions around the greens, knowing where you can miss it, where you can’t miss it, putting.

“You’re going to have a lot of long par putts out here this week, and it’s going to be pretty important to hole a lot of them. Reading the greens is going to be important, but hitting your lines and just not getting ahead of yourself.

“Scoring will be tough. I think it’s going to be a firm U.S. Open, which is good. I don’t think they’re going to have to do too much to the course to make it really tough. It’s normally 10-ish under wins at the Farmers Insurance Open.

“The 6th hole is going to be a par-4, and then the greens are going to be running faster and be a lot firmer. So it’s going to be really, really difficult to hit greens even from the fairway. You’re going to have to hit good shots.

“Yeah, I think it’s going to be a typical U.S. Open, but it’s going to be sort of a U.S. Open/British Open hybrid sort of thing with how firm it’s going to be.”

When asked about the disappointing week for the Australians at the recent PGA Championship, Leishman was quick to remind the questioner of the disparity between the two courses.

“I mean, it was a very different golf course, different conditions. Yeah, I’m not worried about that one. You know, I think that’s probably the hardest major for Australians is the PGA, the way it’s normally set up. So yeah, definitely feel a little bit more optimistic about this week.”

Other than a very impressive week at the Masters however, Leishman’s form in recent months has been well below his best and he will need to rely on fond memories of a layout that clearly suits him to perform up to his potential.

Leishman is playing his 10th US Open but with four missed cuts and a best of 18th in his previous nine he needs sharp improvement if he is to continue his love affair with Torrey Pines.

 

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Hannah Green now Australia’s leading ranked female golfer

Hannah Green – file photo Bruce Young

A 3rd place finish at last weekend’s LPGA Mediheal Championship at Lake Merced in Daly City near San Francisco, has allowed Perth’s Hannah Green to become Australia’s leading ranked female golfer for the first time.

Green now ranks 14th in the Rolex World Rankings for female golfers, one ahead of her fellow West Australian, Minjee Lee.

After an overall disappointing US Women’s Open last week at the nearby Olympic Club, Green was delighted to have hit the ball a lot better, especially in this week’s final round.

“I hit the ball a lot better today. The first few days I wasn’t really hitting it well off the tee, so never really giving myself opportunities to hit the green.

“So I don’t actually know how many I hit today, but more than I have the entire week. I gave myself good opportunities and felt confident over those putts. Sounds really obnoxious, but I had a few more opportunities from close range and didn’t feel comfortable with them and didn’t put a good stroke. Just bobbled all over the place.

“Super happy with the round. Felt like it was possible out there, but obviously had to have everything going, so it was nice to finish like that.”

Green talked of the different mindset she now enjoys given the greater consistency in her game in 2021.

“I feel like my first two years I was just striving to make the cut and then golfing around on the weekend.

“So I guess it’s nice to have experience of being in contention, and obviously having a couple wins you’re never really out of it. Obviously that’s the goal, is to have many weeks in the Top 10 and keep putting myself around it.

“So I’m hoping next week and KPMG I can put myself in a better start the first couple days and just keep going.”

The KPMG she refers to is of course the KPMG PGA Championship she won two years ago, making her only the third Australian female to have won a major title.

Green finished six shots behind the winner Matilda Castren of Sweden this week, but her final round of 66 saw her secure a share of 3rd place with So Yeon Ryu and add another US$88,000 to her already significant earnings for the 2021 season.

Green has now earned US$464,000 for the season to date without winning an event, accumulating five top twenty finishes in eight starts, three of those inside the top ten.

Green will also move into 7th place in the Race to the Globe series.

New Zealand’s Lydia Ko tied for 9th, Minjee Lee 40th, Katherine Kirk 46th, Su Oh 57th after a horror weekend and Sarah Jane Smith 64th. Ko tops the Race to the Globe standings and is in 2nd position behind US Open winner Yuka Saso in earnings for 2021.

The LPGA Tour now leaves the West Coast and will play this week’s event in Michigan before the KPMG PGA Championship in Georgia

 

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Australians looking to extend Torrey Pines record

The entry statement to the public golf course that is Torrey Pines

In recent years Torrey Pines Golf Course on the coastline outside of San Diego has proven a happy hunting ground for Australians.

Marc Leishman and Jason Day (twice) have been winners there and Leishman (twice), Day, Adam Scott and Michael Sim have all finished runner-up at various stages at the Farmers Insurance Open over the past ten or so years.

This week seven Australians get their opportunity to extend that record, although Day will not be one of them having missed out on the various criteria needed to secure a start at the US Open and not competed in Final Qualifying.

Cameron Smith, Marc Leishman, Adam Scott, Matt Jones, Brad Kennedy and Wade Ormsby were all exempt prior to the automatic qualification deadline of June 13th and Steve Allan played his way into the field via Final Qualifying last week.

Amongst that group only Kennedy is debuting at a US Open.

Smith is playing his 6th having a best of 4th on debut in 2015, a finish which essentially secured his place on the PGA Tour the following year.

For Leishman it will be his 10th appearance, having a best of 18th behind Dustin Johnson in 2016.

This week will be Adam Scott’s 20th consecutive US Open start. His best came in 2015 when he tied for 4th along with Cameron Smith at Chambers Bay.

Jones is playing for the 5th time but has missed the cut in four and was forced to withdrew when on debut in 2009.

Ormsby made his one and only appearance in the event when missing the cut in 2017 but his performances on last year’s Asian Tour have secured him another shot.

Steve Allan will play his first US Open since Pebble Beach in 2010 but it will be his sixth overall, qualifying on most occasions through the grueling local and sectional qualifying process.

The golf course will be a very different set-up to that provided for the regular tour event, the Farmers Insurance Open, Tiger Wood’s winning score of 1 under par there in 2008 highlighting just what a beast the South Course layout can become.

Australians’ world rankings

Adam Scott in practice this week – photo USGA

 

 

 

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Scott Hend finds form in Sweden

Scott Hend file photo Getty Images European Tour

Queensland’s Scott Hend has recorded his best European Tour finish in more than two years with a share of 4th place at the inaugural Scandinavian Mixed event Hosted by Henrik and Annika in Gothenburg in Sweden.

A final round of 70 at the Vallda G&CC saw the 47-year-old US based golfer pocket a cheque for €40,000 (A$63,000) and jump 47 places to 79th in the Race to Dubai rankings.

Hend, whose only other top ten in 2021 was when 8th in Tenerife in May, has struggled with form over recent weeks especially, having missed his last three cuts although in one of those events he was hampered when his clubs went missing when returning from the US.

Hend failed to record one top ten in 19 European Tour starts in 2020  and this week’s result is his best finish since winning the Maybank Championship in Malaysia in March of 2019.

Perth’s Jason Scrivener also recorded a good week when he finished in a share of 7th despite a final round of 73 after sharing the lead into the final round.

Scrivener moves up one position to 6th in the Race to Dubai rankings in what has been a superb season to date.

New Zealand’s Ryan Fox was 14th.

The tournament, which adopted the mixed gender format introduced in an event in Australia earlier this year, allowed both men and women to compete on the same golf course and for the same prizemoney pool, although the women played from different tees than the men.

The winner of the event was Northern Ireland’s Jonathan Caldwell whose final round of 64 saw him win by one over Spain’s Adrian Otaegui.

It was Caldwell’s first European Tour title after first qualifying to play the tour in 2008. It has been a long road since, playing just 47 European Tour events in that period and playing lesser tours to keep the dream alive.

“It’s been a dream of mine for an awful long time,” he said. “A lot of hard work goes into it. It hasn’t quite sunk in yet, but hopefully more to come.

“In 2009 I played my first year, lost my card, played mini tours and Challenge Tour over the years, worked as well in a local golf store. It’s been a long road but finally I’m here.

“The golf club at home will probably be going bonkers so just put a tab on and crack on boys and enjoy.

“My parents have been with me the whole way so I look forward to talking to them tonight.”

The leading woman was Alice Hewson who finished in 3rd position and won €54,000 in the process.

Australia’s Stephanie Kyriacou tied for 25th.

 

 

 

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Stephen Allan earns US Open start – Day’s major run over

Stephen Allan plays US Open for the 6th time – file photo Bruce Young

With Sectional Qualifying for next week’s US Open at Torrey Pines near San Diego now completed, seven Australians are now confirmed for the third major championship of 2021.

Former Australian Open Champion, Stephen Allan, was the only Australian to gain access to the event via Sectional Qualifying after he produced a second round of 68 at his venue, the Meadow Springs Country Club in Washington, this morning to secure one of the two spots available from that course.

Allan, currently ranked outside the top 1000 in the world, joins Cameron Smith, Adam Scott, Marc Leishman, Matt Jones, Wade Ormsby and Brad Kennedy as Australians qualified to play the event beginning on June 17th.

For Allan it will be his 6th appearance at the US Open, many of those starts earned via the demanding qualifying process. His first appearance came in 1999 as a 25-year-old.

Jason Day, now outside the required automatic qualification of a top 60 standing in the world ranking, withdrew from qualifying after a late withdrawal from last week’s Memorial due to an ongoing back issue.

Day has played every US Open since 2011 where he finished runner-up to Rory McIlroy on debut in the event. In his ten previous and consecutive appearances he has been twice runner-up and once 4th although in more recent times he has a best of 21st in his last four starts.

The US Open run is over for Jason Day seen here being interviewed after his debut runner-up in 2011.

 

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Yuka Saso wins playoff for US Women’s Open

Yuka Saso- photo USGA John Mummert

A 12 foot birdie putt on the third hole of a playoff saw Filipino, Yuka Saso, fully overcome a horror start to her final round of the US Women’s Open and eventually take the female game’s most significant event and become the first Filipino to do so.

Saso had begun the final round one shot behind Lexi Thompson but consecutive double bogeys at the 2nd and 3rd holes threatened to end any hopes of a dream win for the 19-year-old.

A pep talk from her caddie after the 3rd hole reminded Saso there were still plenty of holes to go and reminded her of the importance of refocusing on the task at hand. From the 4th hole on she would record three birdies and a bogey, two very important birdies at the par five 16th and 17th holes, allowing her to draw level with Thompson before a par at the last saw her enter a playoff against Japan’s Nasa Hataoka.

Not only is it Saso’s first major title but it is her first LPGA Tour victory as she had been previously ineligible for that tour. She now has the right to play the LPGA Tour but she was not quick to confirm such would be the case.

“I just heard that,” said Saso when told of the possible graduation to the LPGA Tour. “I’m going to talk to my dad, my family about it, and we are going to decide after.”

Saso was boosted by a large Filipino contingent, many of whom live in the Daly City area outside of San Francisco and gave thanks for that support and for that of those back in the Philippines.

“I’m just thankful that there’s so many people in the Philippines cheering for me. I don’t know how to thank them. They gave me so much energy. I want to say thank you to everyone.

“There’s so many people holding up Philippines flags, and it’s really big. It made me really happy.”

Both Saso and Hataoka parred the opening two holes of a two-hole aggregate playoff before the third hole would become sudden death. It was there that Saso hit a superb approach from the left rough to 12 feet. Hataoka had found the fairway from the tee but her approach was well short and after her 35 foot putt missed the stage was left to Saso to end the battle.

Hataoka, playing in the second to last group, began the final round six shots behind Thompson but produced a brilliant final round of 68 to force her way into contention and then watch as Thompson self-destructed over her closing holes.

Nasa Hataoka misses a birdie chance at the 72nd hole – photo USGA

Thompson squandered a five shot lead she had established through five holes of the final round, playing her final eight holes in five over par including consecutive bogeys to finish and she would fall, agonisingly, one shot short.

Understandably, Thompson was gutted with her demise over the last few holes to lose the chance of a first US Women’s Open.

“Yeah, of course it’s tough,” said Thompson. “I really didn’t feel like I hit any bad golf shots. That’s what this golf course can do to you, and that’s what I’ve said all week.

“But overall, I’d be the first one to tell you that I hit some bad golf shots and I deserved it, but it’s golf.

“Of course it’s hard to smile, but, I mean, it was an amazing week. Yeah, I played not so good today with a few of the bogeys coming in on the back nine, but the fans were unbelievable, hearing the chants and just gives me a reason to play.

“It was just an unbelievable feeling to be out here and play this golf course. I’ve never been out here, so it was a blessing, and I’ll take today and I’ll learn from it and have a lot more weeks ahead, a lot more years. I have a tournament next week, so we’ll take it from here.”

Keeping a brave face till the end – Thompson acknowledges the crowd at the 18th – image USGA

Lydia Ko finished as the best of the three Australasians to make the cut, the New Zealander finishing at 10 over and in 35th place and one ahead of Minjee Lee with Hannah Green another six shots back in 65th place.

Ko was full of praise for the golf course. “I think this was a fantastic golf course for a U.S. Open. I think it tests every part of your game. The greens are I think on the smaller side, and that’s why it’s even more crucial to be on the fairways.

“Sometimes you hit good shots and they still end up in the rough, but I think for the majority if you hit a good shot you were rewarded, and I think that really resembles what a U.S. Open should be like and what a major championship should be like.”

Lydia Ko arriving at the course on Sunday – USGA Darren Carroll

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Can Lexi Thompson emulate the deeds of Phil Mickelson?

Lexi Thompson in full flight today – photo USGA Darren Carroll

Two weeks ago, America’s favourite golfing son, Phil Mickelson, won the PGA Championship and rewarded his many golfing fans in doing so.

Tomorrow America’s favourite golfing daughter, Lexi Thompson, gets her chance to emulate Mickelson’s deeds and convert the one shot 54 hole lead over Yuka Saso she has established at the US Women’s Open into a memorable victory.

There are many parallels between Mickelson and Thompson, more especially their exciting play and their capacity to engage with the many golfing fans they have. Today Thompson was even signing autographs during her round which would not have gone unnoticed by the golfing public.

Thompson’s bogey free third round of 66 is the best of the week thus far and allowed her to move ahead of the third-round leader, Yuka Saso, who bogeyed her final hole to provide Thompson clean air atop the leaderboard.

Still only 26 years of age, Thompson is playing her 15th US Women’s Open with a best of runner-up in 2019. She has, though, won a major previously when winning the 2014 ANA Inspiration and suffered a huge setback when penalised four shots during the 2017 ANA before finishing runner-up.

“It’s amazing. It’s just an honor to be out here,” said Thompson when asked to describe her day.

“I’ve heard nothing but great things about it and how challenging it is, so I was really looking forward to just coming into the week and seeing what all the hype was about.

“It’s just an amazing layout, atmosphere, everything. It’s definitely challenging. You have to keep it in those fairways. The rough is up very thick. But it’s a challenging golf course, and that’s how all majors should be.

“I’ve just been working extremely hard on every aspect of my game. I’ve worked with Martin Hall quite a bit in the last few weeks. Got to see him a few times.

“But my last week at home I was nonstop practicing working on my game knowing that this is the first event out of about six in a row for me. A big stretch for me, and this one being the first one. I’ve been just working extremely hard, but that’s what it takes to be up top, so I just have to keep on improving.”

Thompson is clearly carrying a much better approach to her game on the golf course and she described just how that had come about.

“It takes a lot because I’ve always been one to be very hard on myself. That’s how I grew up. That’s how I always wanted to be better, and I never accepted mediocre. I think to be the best you don’t want to accept mediocre, so you always have to strive to do better and keep on improving.

“I don’t know, it just came to me. I wasn’t improving with my mindset on the golf course so I knew I had to change, and this week I’ve just had a lot of fun. I’ve made bogeys and I just let it go because it’s going to happen, and just trying to have fun with my caddie out there. It was his birthday today, so I didn’t yell at him.”

Saso bogeyed her final hole but she had again impressed with a round of 71 and might still be the toughest for Thompson to beat tomorrow.

Saso recorded four birdies and four bogeys and is just one behind Thompson but three ahead of the third placed Megha Ganne and Jeongeun Lee 6.

“I think I started good,” said the 19 year old Japanese based Filipino. “I started with a birdie followed with a bogey. But I think I holed some good putts, just a little disappointing that I misread two putts, but I think it’s a great day.”

Saso has only been a professional for just over 18 months but she has been very successful in Japan and has played in LPGA events on occasions.

“I think I’ve learned so much last year and this year. I played in so many good tournaments and I’ve been having a great chance playing with the great players, seeing them play, being so patient, trusting on what they do, I think I’ve learned from that, so I think I’m just going to stay patient and trust the process.”

Seven players are under par and all have a genuine chance of taking the title but some will have to play very well and rely on Thompson or Saso faltering.

Lydia Ko heads the three Australasians to make the cut but for all three today’s third round was a disappointing day.

Ko was round in 76 to be at 9 over and tied for 49th, Minjee Lee a 77 to be at 10 over and Hannah Hgree a 78 to be at 13 over. recorded rounds of 76.

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Lydia Ko – leads the Australasians through 54 holes – photo USGA

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Lucas Herbert impresses at Memorial as leader Rahm forced to withdraw

Lucas Herbert – file photo – image PGA of Australia

Despite a disappointing double bogey at his 17th hole in today’s third round of the Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio, Victorian golfer, Lucas Herbert finds himself in a share of 7th position as the event heads into tomorrow’s final round.

Herbert is playing the event courtesy of his performance on money lists internationally and with an outward nine of 33 today he was well inside the top ten and playing beautifully.

He missed the green at the 10th and took bogey but a stunning tee shot at the 16th to six feet led to a birdie before a mini disaster at the 17th where he found the water with his approach and dropped two shots.

For Herbert however, a winner in Dubai on the European Tour in 2020 and a with five other top five finishes on that tour along with runner-up finishes at both the NSW and New Zealand Opens, he continues to build on his professional career.

Although some seven shots behind current joint leaders, Collin Morikawa and Patrick Cantlay, Herbert is well placed to record his best ever PGA Tour finish and the manner in which he has handled the Memorial layout and competed against such a strong field augurs well for his ongoing career.

The shock of the event came at the completion of previous winner Jon Rahm’s third round during which he recorded a round of 64 to lead the event by six shots.

Soon after his round he was informed he had tested positive to Covid and has been forced to withdraw from the event.

Rahm had been tested after round two and before round three as a result of him coning into contact with a positive person earlier and the diagnosis was determined during his third round of play.

Adam Scott is two behind Herbert and tied for 16th while Marc Leishman is further back and the only other Australian to make the cut.

 

 

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Another teenager takes US Women’s Open lead

Yuka Saso- photo USGA

Lydia Ko, Minjee Lee and Hannah Green are, perhaps predictably, the only three  Australasians to make the weekend at the US Women’s Open at Olympic Club near San Francisco, the Ko and Lee finishing their opening 36 holes at 4 over par and one shot inside the cutline while Green was right on the required number.

Ko struggled to a round of 75 and after being just one off the lead during her opening round on Thursday it has been a disappointing last 23 holes for the New Zealander having dropped seven shots in that time but a good weekend is not beyond her.

Brisbane raised amateur Emily Mahar and Queensland’s Sarah Jane Smith finished at 10 over par, New Zealand amateur Amelia Garvey at 11 over, in her first appearance as a professional, and Sarah Kemp at 15 over.

Lee was round in 73 today and both she and Ko are in 36th place and ten shots from the lead set by Filipino Yuka Saso who is the only player to record consecutive rounds in the 60’s thus far and finds herself one shot ahead of 2019 US Women’s Open champion, Jeongeun Lee.

Lee echoed the feeling of most when she described the conditions. “It was cold today. Oh, my goodness. But the wind didn’t pick up like the forecast said it was, so that was nice.

“The greens were definitely softer, holding a little bit. Overall, again, it played tough, but if you were in the fairway it was scorable. Kind of bummed I didn’t capitalize on a few more opportunities.”

Still only 19 years  of age, leader Saso is playing her third US Open and finished a very respectable 13th in 2020 after being very much in the hunt through 36 holes.

Ten birdies and just four bogeys represent a splendid opening 36 holes for the leader who plays most of her golf on the Japan Golf Tour where she won two events in 2020.

Born in the Philippines but raised since the age of 4 in Japan, Saso had originally intended to play collegiate golf in the US but she has been professional now for nearly two years and making a considerable success of it.

Two years ago, she advanced to the semifinals of the U.S. Girls’ Junior, then passed up a scholarship offer from the University of Georgia to turn professional. Since then, Saso, a semifinalist in the 2016 U.S. Women’s Amateur, has captured two events on the LPGA Tour of Japan and has risen to 40th in the Rolex World Rankings.

She described the benefit of being in contention in the early stages of last year’s US Open and how that has impacted on her approach this week.

“Last year’s U.S. Open? Last year it was very cold and I wasn’t really expecting to play that good. It was really a good experience. For all the tournaments that I’m joining before here, at Olympic, I really had a good experience and trying to be patient. I think that helps.”

Joint first round leader, 17 year old Megha Ganne, did well to record a round of even par today, the 17 year old no doubt excited about what lies ahead over the weekend as she anticipates the spotlight being on her even more.

Ganne is tied for third place with Megan Khang with another shot back to China’s Shanshan Feng.

“Yeah, I think what I learned at the ANWA and a couple other events is obviously when you have your “A” game it’s really easy to make putts and hit good shots,” said Ganne. “But it’s when you don’t have that and you’re still able to salvage and not compound mistakes, that’s what separates the pros from the amateurs I think a lot of the time.

“That’s kind of what I’ve been trying to do. A little bit on the front nine I saw that today. I wasn’t really in the spots I wanted to be, so I just remember that I know how to make up-and-downs, so kept that in mind.”

Eleven players are under par at the completion of 36 holes with another four at even par, and given the nature of this golf course all can be considered chances to claim the title over the weekend.

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Minjee Lee – the best of the Australians at present – photo USGA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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