Japan’s Yuka Saso leads by one stroke in the first round of the U.S. Women’s Open in Philadelphia.
Saso was one of only four players to beat par Thursday with a 2-under 68 at Lancaster Country Club in Philadelphia.
She is ahead of a trio of 15-year-old amateurs, Adela Cernousek, Wichanee Meechai and Andrea Lee, who each shot 70 in even par rounds.
“This is the U.S. Open. It’s a major. It’s the biggest major championship, and I think it’s one of the most difficult weeks we’ll ever play,” Saso said. “I don’t tell myself to be confident.”
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Nelly Korda had a nightmare start to the U.S. Women’s Open, shooting an LPGA career-best 10 strokes on the par-3 12th hole during the opening round.
Among those struggling was world No. 1 Nelly Korda, whose efforts to maintain her incredible form collapsed after just three holes.
Korda was a huge favorite to secure his third major title after winning six of his last seven events.
However, Korda started with a bogey on the 10th hole, then dropped three balls into the water on the par-3 12th hole and recorded a septaple bogey 10 times.
Korda’s tee shot fell into the bunker behind the green, and his second shot was hit so hard that it caught the slope and rolled into the water.
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Germany’s Sophia Popov recorded a stunning hole-in-one at the US Women’s Open.
In the drop zone, Korda found water twice more before finally getting his eighth shot on the green and two-putting from 9 feet to drop to 8 over par.
Korda’s dominant performances this season include a second major victory at the Chevron Championship, but she admitted in her pre-tournament press conference that she was expecting to face a “beast of the course” this week.
England’s Jodi Ewart Shadoff shot a 2-over 72 and Ireland’s Leona Maguire was one shot behind.
Since last hosting the U.S. Open in 2015, Lancaster Country Club has been revised and lengthened to a par 70 of 6,583 yards.
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