Six-way tie for lead after first round of U.S. Women's Open at Erin Hills
The move worked well in the first round at Erin Hills.
Yin made a 13 1/2-foot birdie putt on the par-5 18th for a 4-under 68 and a share of the U.S. Women's Open lead with 2020 champion A Lim Kim, Jinhee Im, Yealimi Noh, Rio Takeda and Julia Lopez Ramirez.
'I know U.S. Open is going to be extremely fast, so I wanted to find a putter that will hold the ground and just do what I want it to do,' Yin said. 'It just so happened to be this putter. I started tinkering with it like about a month ago, and I got lucky to use it.'
The 26-year-old from California qualified for the U.S. Women's Open as a 13-year-old at Blackwolf Run in Kohler, Wisconsin, back in 2012. She has experienced plenty of ups and downs since at this event.
She tied for second in 2019 at the Country Club of Charleston in South Carolina, but that's the last time she finished under par at the U.S. Women's Open. Yin missed the cut last year with a pair of 75s.
'Either really good or really, really terrible, where I don't see the weekend,' Yin said. 'I think it just says a lot about the championship. You have to play your best. There is no mediocre. … You can try to make good saves, but at the end of the day, if you don't have it, you don't have it.'
The biggest surprise among the early leaders was Lopez Ramirez, who had a bogey-free round in her U.S. Women's Open debut.
Lopez Ramirez won consecutive Southeastern Conference titles at Mississippi State in 2023 and 2024, but she suffered a major setback earlier this year when what she initially believed was a bout of food poisoning actually was a case of appendicitis. Less than three months after her appendectomy, the Spaniard was in early contention at the top event in women's golf.
'I feel like my confidence is coming back,' said Lopez Ramirez, whose highest finish this year is a tie for 29th.
Takeda started at No. 10 and made six birdies in a nine-hole stretch from No. 14 through No. 4 to make up for her bogeys at Nos. 17 and 2. Noh benefited from an eagle in the par-5 14th. Im had a bogey-free round that included four birdies in a span of five holes from Nos. 10-14. Kim made birdie putts of 42 feet on No. 1 and 32 feet on No. 3.
Chisato Iwai, Nasa Hataoka, Chiara Tamburlini, Youmin Hwang and Yui Kawamoto shot 69. Hinako Shibuno, Maja Stark, Pajaree Anannarukarn, Jiwon Jean, Shiho Kuwaki, Gaby Lopez and Mao Saigo were at 70. Saigo won the year's first major, the Chevron Championship in Texas.
Those scores are notable because only two players finished under par in last year's U.S. Women's Open at Lancaster Country Club in Pennsylvania, with Yuka Saso posting a winning four-round total of 4-under 276. Saso, who is seeking her third U.S. Women's Open title, had a 74 on Thursday.
Noh said the low scores at the 6,829-yard, par-72 course didn't surprise her. Erin Hills' difficulty often is based on the strength of the wind, and it was relatively calm early Thursday. Stronger winds are expected Friday.
'There are some tees out that are pulled up, and a lot of the par-5s, I think all of them are reachable,' Noh said. 'Some par 3s were shorter than normal. So, I think for sure, with the minimal wind today, it was definitely a good scoring day.'
As an indication of how forgiving this course can be when there isn't much wind, Brooks Koepka won the 2017 U.S. Open at 16 under to tie the tournament record during a pretty calm week at Erin Hills.
Golf Channel Staff,
Nelly Korda, the world's top-ranked player, had a 72 as she chases her first U.S. Women's Open title. She has never finished her than a tie for eighth.
Korda entered this week having birdied an LPGA Tour-leading 29.17% of the time, but she didn't make a single birdie until her final hole of the day. This still represented a better start for Korda than last year, when she made a 10 on her third hole of the tournament, carded an 80 in the opening round and went on to miss the cut.
'Overall, I can't complain,' Korda said. 'First day of the U.S. Open, it's all about patience. I'm striking it pretty well, so hopefully I can carry that into the next couple days.'
Second-ranked Jeeno Thitikul had a 75. No. 3 Lydia Ko shot 73.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
4 hours ago
- USA Today
Destined for stardom, Megha Ganne a fitting U.S. Women's Amateur champion at Bandon Dunes
BANDON, Ore. — Megha Ganne has done hundreds of pretend victory speeches into Gatorade bottles over the years. The 21-year-old from New Jersey has done plenty of winning in her golf career. She has won over and over as a junior and amateur golfer. She has been destined for stardom since the first time her coach, Katie Rudolph, saw her swing a club on the range at Galloping Hills in New Jersey, where Ganne was in the crowd at a girls golf clinic. The world got its first introduction to Ganne on the big stage at Olympic Club in the 2021 U.S. Women's Open, where she played in the final group on Sunday and became a fan favorite with her bright smile and infectious aura. Ganne has always dreamed of succeeding on the big stages, and she normally does, but Sunday's stage was her grandest achievement yet. Ganne claimed the 2025 U.S. Women's Amateur title at Bandon Dunes, beating 22-year-old Brooke Biermann 4 and 3 in the 36-hole final. Bandon Dunes has become an icon of American golf, where the ocean speaks with crashing waves and the wind lashes those who walks the links-style layout on Oregon's coast. It's a course that demands excellence and brings out the absolute best a player has to offer. It's fitting Ganne won her first USGA title at the iconic venue, where her stardom was able to shine off the reflection of the ocean as her championship backdrop. "She's always been a superstar," Rudolph said. "The same Megha you see right now is the same Megha you've seen when she was 7, 8, 9, 10, all the way up. She's always believed in herself. There was never doubt." Throughout the week, Rudolph took photos of the ocean from above the cliffs and envisioned being able to take a picture with Megha holding the trophy. It's fitting, then, that Ganne ended the match on the par-3 15th hole, which sits perched above the screaming ocean waves beneath it. The rising senior at Stanford earned the 11 seed before match play, and one by one she took down some of the world's top-ranked amateurs, who proved no match for Ganne's march to victory. Ganne, ranked 11th in the world, beat No. 14 Anna Davis in the Round of 32, No. 20 Kary Hollenbaugh in the Round of 16 and No. 6 Eila Galitsky in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, Ganne was 4 down with seven holes to play. When she stepped on the 18th tee, the match was tied. She won it in 19 holes. In Sunday's championship match, she took control from the start. A birdie on the first gave her a lead. The match was tied through 11 holes, but she won three consecutive on Nos. 12-14 to go 3 up, the lead she held at lunch. To begin the afternoon, Ganne again birdied the first. She and Biermann, the recent Michigan State grad who made match play for the first time this week at a USGA championship, each won three holes on the front nine while tying the other three, and Ganne's lead was 3 with nine to play. The turning point came on the par-4 11th, when Biermann's 3-wood drifted about 30 yards left of the green. It took her two shots to get on the putting surface, and she still wasn't inside Ganne's approach, which she said was her best shot of the afternoon, and Biermann conceded the hole. "Five iron, just a knockdown," Ganne said. "It was really windy. Think those back nine holes are more for a ball striker." Images of holding the Robert Cox Trophy danced in Ganne's head, but the job was not done. Biermann responded quickly, curling in a birdie putt on the par-5 13th after Ganne missed her look to get within 3. Then on the par-4 14th, Biermann had about 20 feet for birdie while Ganne was beyond the hole and had a downhill 25 footer. Ganne's attempt missed low and left a 4 footer. Biermann's birdie putt, which would've gotten her 2 down with 4 to play, never had a chance, stopping 6 feet short. Then on the par putt, she missed again. Outside of her appearance in the final group of the U.S. Women's Open, the spotlight had never been brighter for Ganne. She stepped up, buried the 4 footer, and she could finally put one hand on the trophy. "I love playing any sort of tournament, but I really do love being in the spotlight and I like performing under pressure," Ganne said. "I think it brings out the best in my game." On the closing hole, Ganne fired an iron to the back left portion of the green, settling about 20 feet from the flag. Biermann found the surface but gave herself a 40 footer she needed to can to have hopes of extending the match. When she didn't, Ganne finally had the moment she had dreamed of for years and years and years. It was time to close. Two putts later, and she was a U.S. Women's Amateur champion. "You really need to show up to win one of these trophies," Rudolph said. "And she showed up this week, from Monday until that very last putt." Ganne is no stranger to winning. Last year, she won a NCAA team title with Stanford. She was on the victorious U.S. Curtis Cup team in 2022 at Merion. But this one was different. "Winning with team is so special," Ganne said. "There's nothing like it, but this is something that has been an individual goal of mine ever since I was a little kid. I've hit so many putts in my basement pretending that it was to win a U.S. Open or a U.S. Amateur or a U.S. Junior. "To actually have that putt is surreal." Instead of a Gatorade bottle, a television microphone was waiting to interview the newest USGA champion on the 15th green in a quick ceremony. After it was over, Ganne set down her trophy and walked over to her parents, Sudha and Hari Ganne, and Rudolph, who were reminiscing about the little girl hitting golf balls on the range that was destined for stardom, now in the record books forever. "I don't know what to do," Ganne said to them while laughing. With star power and skill like hers, Megha Ganne better get used to those winning moments.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
When Mississippi State, Ole Miss women's basketball play each other in 2025-26 schedule
Ole Miss and Mississippi State women's basketball will play each other on Jan. 11 at SJB Pavilion in Oxford. Both team's SEC schedules were announced on Aug. 5. The Bulldogs and coach Sam Purcell will begin SEC play on New Year's Day at Humphrey Coliseum against Auburn. The Rebels and coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin will host Georgia that same day. Times and TV channels will be announced at a later date. It's the second straight season that the Bulldogs and Rebels will only play each other once in the regular season. Ole Miss beat Mississippi State twice in 2024-25, first at Humphrey Coliseum in the regular season and then again in the SEC tournament. Ole Miss and Mississippi State will both play SEC tournament champion South Carolina on the road. MSU plays the Gamecocks on Feb. 5, and the Rebels will play them on Feb. 22. The Bulldogs will end the season March 1 against LSU at Humphrey Coliseum. Ole Miss also has a home game that day against Texas A&M. The full nonconference schedules haven't been announced for either team. Mississippi State and Ole Miss both made the NCAA tournament last season. MSU (22-12) lost in the second round, while Ole Miss (22-11) lost in the Sweet 16. Mississippi State women's basketball schedule These are the games that have been announced so far: Nov. 24: vs. Alcorn State (Emerald Coast Classic in Niceville, Florida) Nov. 25: vs. Middle Tennessee State or Providence (Emerald Coast Classic in Niceville, Florida) Dec. 4: vs. Pitt Jan. 1: vs. Auburn Jan. 4: at Oklahoma Jan. 8: vs. Tennessee Jan. 11: at Ole Miss Jan. 15: vs. Vanderbilt Jan. 18: vs. Kentucky Jan. 25: at Alabama Jan. 29: at Tennessee Feb. 1: vs. Missouri Feb. 5: at South Carolina Feb. 12: vs. Georgia Feb. 16: at Arkansas Feb. 19: vs. Florida Feb. 22: at Texas Feb. 26: at Texas A&M March 1: vs. LSU MORE: How Max Smith went from intramurals to Chris Beard's Ole Miss basketball roster Ole Miss women's basketball schedule These are the games that have been announced so far: Dec. 4: vs. Notre Dame Dec. 7: vs. Kansas State (Bill Snyder Classic in St. Joseph, Missouri) Dec. 21: Opponent TBD (Cherokee Invitational in Cherokee, North Carolina) Dec. 22: Opponent TBD (Cherokee Invitational in Cherokee, North Carolina) Jan. 1: vs. Georgia Jan. 4: at Texas Jan. 8: at Oklahoma Jan. 11: vs. Mississippi State Jan. 18: at Georgia Jan. 22: at Missouri Jan. 26: vs. Tennessee Jan. 29: vs. Vanderbilt Feb. 1: vs. Auburn Feb. 5: at Alabama Feb. 12: vs. Arkansas Feb. 15: at Kentucky Feb. 19: vs. LSU Feb. 22: at South Carolina Feb. 26: at Florida March 1: vs. Texas A&M Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@ and follow him on X @sklarsam_. This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi State, Ole Miss women's basketball schedules for 2025-26
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
When are Mississippi State vs Ole Miss basketball games in 2025-26? SEC schedule released
Mississippi State and Ole Miss basketball will play each other Jan. 17 and Feb. 14 during the 2025-26 season. The first game will be at Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville, with the second game at SJB Pavilion in Oxford. Both of the games are on Saturdays. The full SEC schedules were announced on Aug. 6. The Rebels' first SEC game is Jan. 3 at Oklahoma, while the Bulldogs will travel to Texas on that same day. Start times and TV channels will be announced at a later date. Ole Miss' first home SEC game is against Arkansas on either Jan. 6 or 7. MSU will host Oklahoma on one of those two days. The Rebels get Florida, the defending national champions, at home on Feb. 21, while Mississippi State will play at Florida on either March 3 or 4 in the second-to-last game. Mississippi State hosts Auburn on either Feb. 17 or 18. KeShawn Murphy, MSU's second leading scorer last season, transferred to Auburn. MSU coach Chris Jans is 5-1 against Ole Miss in his three seasons as the coach with three straight wins. The Bulldogs were eliminated in the first round of the NCAA tournament last season while the Rebels made their first Sweet 16 appearance since 2001. Mississippi State has announced its full season schedule while Ole Miss hasn't. Ole Miss basketball schedule 2025-26 These are the games that have been announced so far: Dec. 2: vs. Miami Jan. 3: at Oklahoma Jan. 6 or 7: vs. Arkansas Jan. 10: vs. Missouri Jan. 13 or 14: at Georgia Jan. 17: at Mississipi State Jan. 20 or 21: vs. Auburn Jan. 24: at Kentucky Jan. 31: vs. Vanderbilt Feb. 3 or 4: at Tennessee Feb. 7: at Texas Feb. 10 or 11: vs. Alabama Feb. 14: vs. Mississippi State Feb. 17 or 18: at Texas A&M Feb. 21: vs. Florida Feb. 24 or 25: vs. LSU Feb. 28: at Auburn March 3 or 4: at Vanderbilt March 7: vs. South Carolina MORE: When Mississippi State, Ole Miss women's basketball play each other in 2025-26 schedule Mississippi State basketball schedule 2025-26 Here's the full Mississippi State schedule: Nov. 5: vs. North Alabama Nov. 10: vs. Iowa State (in Sioux Falls, South Dakota) Nov. 15: vs. Southeastern Louisiana Nov. 20: vs. Kansas State (Hall of Fame Classic in Kansas City, Missouri) Nov. 21: vs. Nebraska or New Mexico (Hall of Fame Classic in Kansas City, Missouri) Nov. 24: vs. New Orleans Nov. 28: vs. SMU Dec. 3: at Georgia Tech Dec. 7: vs. San Francisco (in Tupelo) Dec. 13: at Utah Dec. 16: vs. Long Island Dec. 20: vs. Memphis Dec. 29: vs. Alabama State Jan. 1: at Texas Jan. 6 or 7: vs. Oklahoma Jan. 10: at Kentucky Jan. 13 or 14: vs. Alabama Jan. 17: vs. Ole Miss Jan. 20 or 21: at Texas A&M Jan. 24: vs. Vanderbilt Jan. 27 or 28: at LSU Jan. 31: at Missouri Feb. 7: vs. Arkansas Feb. 11: vs. Tennessee Feb. 14: at Ole Miss Feb. 17 or 18: vs. Auburn Feb. 21: at South Carolina Feb. 24 or 25: at Alabama Feb. 28: vs. Missouri March 3 or 4: at Florida March 7: vs. Georgia Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@ and follow him on X @sklarsam_. This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Ole Miss, Mississippi State basketball SEC schedules for 2025-26
