Leona Maguire and Olivia Mehaffey face mountainous tasks to stick around for the weekend at the 81st U.S. Women’s Open Presented by Ally at The Riviera Country Club.
Maguire is languishing in 118th place on five-over after a 76 while Mehaffey, playing her first major since 2020, is just one shot better in 104th as they look to try and make the cut today in California.
Jennifer Kupcho missed the cut last week at the ShopRite LPGA outside of Atlantic City, N.J., in her title defence. Maybe her mind had already drifted this week’s test.
For someone who hasn’t enjoyed a great relationship with this championship in terms of results – five missed cuts in nine starts with no finish better than a tie for 21st as an amateur – the 29-year-old from Colorado sure took a starring role in Thursday’s opening round.
Buoyed by a near hole-out for eagle on the par-4 second – part of a birdie-birdie-birdie start – and a near-ace on the par-3 16th, Kupcho fired a 5-under-par 66 for a one-stroke advantage over another one-time major champion, Sei Young Kim.
“It kind of takes a little bit of a weight off my chest,” said Kupcho, who made a scouting trip to Riviera while playing the LPGA’s JM Eagle LA Open in mid-April. “I’ve missed the last three U.S. Open cuts. So, barring something crazy doesn’t happen tomorrow, I’ll be playing on the weekend.
“I think it kind of just lets me relax and not have to worry. I just need to make the cut. Just go out there and play my best, take every shot as it is, and see what happens at the end of the day.”
Five others posted 3-under 68s, headlined by 2019 AIG Women’s Open champion Hinako Shibuno, Gaby Lopez and three Koreans: Ina Yoon, Hyunjo Yoo and Minji Kang.
Minjee Lee, a three-time major winner, including the 2022 U.S. Women’s Open, was joined at 2-under 69 by 2023 KPMG Women’s PGA champion Ruoning Yin, 2021 Chevron winner and ex-UCLA standout Patty Tavatanakit and 2021 U.S. Women’s Open runner-up Nasa Hataoka.
As is typical weather for June for this part of Los Angeles, the morning marine layer was quickly replaced by bright sunshine and comfortable breezes. Playing in the afternoon wave when the course began to firm up, Kupcho, who counts the 2022 Chevron Championship among her four LPGA Tour victories, came out blazing, a start that included a 133-yard approach to 10 inches on the difficult 417-yard second hole, which ranked as the third most difficult in Round 1 (4.35 stroke average).
Kupcho, the eighth American to lead after Round 1 since 2000 (Stacy Lewis did it twice), gave one back at the par-3 sixth, the famous hole with a bunker in the middle of the green complex, but added birdies on seven, 11 and 12. She followed a bogey on the second-toughest hole, the 422-yard 15th, by knocking her tee shot at the 143-yard 16th to 2 inches. Her ball skipped through the kikuyu rough and almost found the hole.
“I think my parents have always pushed me like, ‘Hey, why don’t you go try and see the golf course beforehand?’ I’m like, ‘No, I don’t do that.’ I never do that for any other tournament. Why would I change that for the U.S. [Women’s] Open?
“I wouldn’t say I necessarily went out of my way since we were here in L.A. at El Cab[allero Country Club in nearby Tarzana], but it definitely made it super easy to come out and see it. Then when I showed up this week, it was just like I knew where everything was. I knew what I was doing. So, I think it actually helped. Parents are always right, right?
“I really like this golf course. It kind of fits my eye.”
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