Latest news with #80thUSWomen'sOpen
The 42
3 hours ago
- Sport
- The 42
Sweden's Maja Stark grabs one-shot lead at US Women's Open
MAJA STARK FIRED three birdies in an impressively steady two-under-par 70 at unforgiving Erin Hills on Saturday to seize a one stroke lead over Julia Lopez Ramirez heading into the final round of the 80th US Women's Open. Sweden's Stark, a European Solheim Cup stalwart chasing her first major title, kept her focus in a round that stretched nearly six hours as players wrestled with firm, fast greens on a breezy, sunny day in Wisconsin. Her seven-under-par total put her one stroke clear of Spanish qualifier Lopez Ramirez, whose four-under-par 68 was the best score of a day on which only nine players broke par. Japan's Mai Saigo, who started the day with a three-shot lead, carded a three-over-par 75 to share third alongside compatriots Rio Takeda and Hinako Shibuno on five-under. Advertisement World number one Nelly Korda, who played alongside Saigo in the final group, finished strong in a one-over 73 that left her three adrift on four-under. Stark opened with a confidence-boosting birdie at the first hole. She bogeyed the third, but stuck her second shot at the 10th two feet from the pin for a birdie. Stark rattled in a 21-foot birdie at the par-three 16th to seize a share of the lead on seven-under, capping her round with a par at the par-five 18th and emerging with the solo lead as Saigo closed with back-to-back bogeys. The tough scoring made Lopez Ramirez's round look all the more impressive. The 22-year-old, who had to pause her LPGA rookie campaign in March after undergoing an appendectomy, eagled the par-five first and bounced back from a bogey at the third with a birdie at the seventh, where she got up and down from a greenside bunker. She added birdies at 12 and 16 to put herself in contention for a first major title. Saigo, gunning for a second major title of the season after winning the Chevron Championship in April, was battling even before her bogey-bogey finish. She had two birdies and a bogey in her first three holes then bogeyed the fourth, fifth and sixth — failing to get up and down after missing the geen at all three. The 23-year-old had regained the solo lead with an eight-foot birdie at the 12th but couldn't hang on. Korda appeared to be spiraling out of contention with four bogeys on the front nine. That included three-putts at the second and fifth and a five-foot miss at the seventh. But the American star clawed back with birdies at the 14th and 15th — where she took advantage of the US Golf Association's decision to move up the tee to drive the green and calmly rolled in an eight-foot birdie putt. Her six-foot birdie putt at the 18th circled the cup before falling in, leaving her exactly where she started the day three shots off the lead. – © AFP 2025
Straits Times
5 hours ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
Sweden's Maja Stark grabs one-shot lead at US Women's Open
Leader Maja Stark of Sweden lining up a putt during the third round of the US Women's Open on May 31. PHOTO: AFP CHICAGO – Maja Stark fired three birdies in an impressively steady two-under 70 at an unforgiving Erin Hills on May 31 to seize a one-stroke lead over Julia Lopez Ramirez heading into the final round of the 80th US Women's Open. Sweden's Stark, a European Solheim Cup stalwart chasing her first Major title, kept her focus in a round that stretched nearly six hours as players wrestled with firm, fast greens on a breezy, sunny day in Wisconsin. Her seven-under total of 209 put her one stroke clear of Spanish qualifier Lopez Ramirez, whose four-under 68 was the best score of a day on which only nine players broke par. Japan's Mai Saigo, who started the day with a three-shot lead, carded a three-over 75 to share third, alongside compatriots Rio Takeda and Hinako Shibuno on five-under 211. World No. 1 Nelly Korda, who played alongside Saigo in the final group, finished strong in a one-over 73 that left her three adrift on four-under 212. Stark said the very difficulty of the course actually made her less anxious – a key for her as she tries to kick the habit of 'playing scared'. 'In normal tournaments, I kind of swing scared because I think it's a birdie competition, but here it's really not,' Stark said, adding that on June 1, she will just 'try to play freely'. Stark opened with a confidence-boosting birdie at the first hole. She bogeyed the third, but stuck her second shot at the 10th two feet from the pin for a birdie. Stark rattled in a 21-foot birdie at the par-three 16th to seize a share of the lead on seven-under, capping her round with a par at the par-five 18th and emerging with the solo lead as Saigo closed with back-to-back bogeys. The tough scoring made Lopez Ramirez's round look all the more impressive. The 22-year-old, who had to pause her LPGA rookie campaign in March after undergoing an appendectomy, eagled the par-five first and bounced back from a bogey at the third with a birdie at the seventh, where she got up and down from a greenside bunker. She added birdies at 12 and 16 to put herself in contention for a first major title. 'It was just mentally a strong day for me, keeping myself present and dealing with what's in front of me,' Lopez Ramirez added. On the PGA Tour, World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler conjured a late birdie blitz to fire a four-under 68 and grab a one-shot lead after the third round of the Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio, on May 31. Scheffler, bidding to successfully defend his crown at Muirfield Village, rattled in four birdies in the final five holes to drop to eight under, one ahead of overnight leader Ben Griffin, who stumbled with an even-par 72. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
New Straits Times
11 hours ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Sweden's Stark grabs one-shot lead at US Women's Open
CHICAGO: Maja Stark fired three birdies in an impressively steady two-under-par 70 at unforgiving Erin Hills on Saturday to seize a one stroke lead over Julia Lopez Ramirez heading into the final round of the 80th US Women's Open. Sweden's Stark, a European Solheim Cup stalwart chasing her first major title, kept her focus in a round that stretched nearly six hours as players wrestled with firm, fast greens on a breezy, sunny day in Wisconsin. Her seven-under-par total of 209 put her one stroke clear of Spanish qualifier Lopez Ramirez, whose four-under-par 68 was the best score of a day on which only nine players broke par. Japan's Mai Saigo, who started the day with a three-shot lead, carded a three-over-par 75 to share third alongside compatriots Rio Takeda and Hinako Shibuno on five-under 211. World number one Nelly Korda, who played alongside Saigo in the final group, finished strong in a one-over 73 that left her three adrift on four-under 212. Stark said the very difficulty of the course actually made her less anxious -- a key for her as she tries to kick the habit of "playing scared". "In normal tournaments, I kind of swing scared because I think it's a birdie competition, but here it's really not," Stark said, adding that on Sunday she'll just "try to play freely". Stark opened with a confidence-boosting birdie at the first hole. She bogeyed the third, but stuck her second shot at the 10th two feet from the pin for a birdie. Stark rattled in a 21-foot birdie at the par-three 16th to seize a share of the lead on seven-under, capping her round with a par at the par-five 18th and emerging with the solo lead as Saigo closed with back-to-back bogeys. The tough scoring made Lopez Ramirez's round look all the more impressive. The 22-year-old, who had to pause her LPGA rookie campaign in March after undergoing an appendectomy, eagled the par-five first and bounced back frm a bogey at the third with a birdie at th seventh, where she got up and down from a greenside bunker. She added birdies at 12 and 16 to put herself in contention for a first major title. "It was just mentally a strong day for me, keeping myself present and dealing with what's in front of me," Lopez Ramirez added. Saigo, gunning for a second major title of the season after winning the Chevron Championship in April, was battling even before her bogey-bogey finish. She had two birdies and a bogey in her first three holes then bogeyed the fourth, fifth and sixth -- failing to get up and down after missing the geen at all three. The 23-year-old had regained the solo lead with an eight-foot birdie at the 12th but couldn't hang on. Takeda joined her on five-under with a two-under par 70 highlighted by a six-foot eagle at the first. Former British Open champion Shibuno had two birdies and two bogeys in her even par 72. Korda appeared to be spiraling out of contention with four bogeys on the front nine. That included three-putts at the second and fifth and a five-foot miss at the seventh. But the American star clawed back with birdies at the 14th and 15th -- where she took advantage of the US Golf Association's decision to move up the tee to drive the green and calmly rolled in an eight-foot birdie putt. Her six-foot birdie putt at the 18th circled the cup before falling in, leaving her exactly where she started the day three shots off the lead. "I was happy to kind of rally back on the back nine after having such a poor start," Korda said. "It's all about being patient. There's just so many ups and downs and you just have to kind of stick with it .... it just takes one shot." - AFP
The 42
2 days ago
- Sport
- The 42
Six-way tie for US Women's Open lead, Leona Maguire eight shots back
LEONA MAGUIRE SHOT a round of four-over 76 after the first round of the 80th US Women's Open at Erins Hill in Wisconsin. Maguire is eight shots behind the leaders with six players tied at the top. The Cavan native was one-over after the front nine, her only birdie of the day arriving on the third, but dropped shots on the 2nd and the 8th. A double bogey on the par-five 14th was a major setback for Maguire, and another bogey arrived on the 17th, to leave her in a tie for 105th. Former champion Kim A-lim fired six birdies in a four-under-par 68 to headline a group of six players tied atop the log-jammed leaderboard. Fellow South Korean Im Jin-hee, Japan's Rio Takeda, Americans Yealimi Noh and Angel Yin and Spanish LPGA rookie Julia Lopez Ramirez shared the lead, one stroke in front of a group of five players tied on three-under-par 69. Another seven players were two adrift, but Kim said she wouldn't expend her energy worrying about who might be in striking distance. 'Honestly, I'm not thinking about (the) leaderboard because my job is process, not result,' said Kim, who won the 2020 US Open in her major championship debut. 'Next three days, I play the same thing as today: focus on my line, hit it. That's all.' Advertisement A Lim Kim, of South Korea, on the third tee during the first round of the U.S. Women's Open. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo With little wind, Erin Hills, the rolling 6,829-yard par-72 layout in Erin, Wisconsin, offered perhaps its most benign face for the first round of the first US Women's Open to be held there. Noh, who holed out for an eagle at the 14th and birdied the par-five 18th, called it a 'good scoring day'. But plenty of marquee names were unable to join the 33 players to shoot under par. - All about patience - World number one Nelly Korda was playing catchup after a bogey at the third, finally getting to even par 72 with a birdie at the par-five 18th. Defending champion Yuka Saso's bid for a third US Open title in five seasons got off to a rocky start with a two-over-par 74. World number two Jeeno Thitikul of Tailand opened with a three-over 75 while third-ranked Lydia Ko of New Zealand — whose resume includes three major titles but no US Open — posted a one-over 73. 'I think I'm happy with it,' Korda said. 'Obviously, I wish the ball found the bottom of the cup a little bit more. 'First day of the US Open, it's all about patience. I'm striking it pretty well, so hopefully I can carry that into the next couple days.' While Korda struggled to get things going, Kim opened with back-to-back birdies at the 10th and 11th. After a bogey at the 12th she added birdies at 16 and 17 and took the solo lead at five-under with birdie bombs at the first and third before giving a stroke back at the sixth. Takeda had three birdies and one bogey on each side while Im opened with nine straight pars and had all four of her birdies in a five-hole span from the 10th through the 14th. Lopez Ramirez was also bogey-free, an impressive performance for the 22-year-old who came through qualifying to book her first US Open appearance. Lopez Ramirez and Yin were among the afternoon starters, Yin shaking off an early bogey with five birdies — including three in a row at eight, nine and 10 — before a setback at 17. In the right rough off the tee she came up short of the green, then saw her third shot spin off into a collection area, from where she managed to salvage a bogey. 'This is what this course can do,' said Yin, who regained a share of the lead with a birdie at the last. – © AFP 2025
Business Recorder
2 days ago
- Sport
- Business Recorder
Former champ Kim in six-way tie for US Women's Open lead
CHICAGO: Former champion Kim A-lim fired six birdies in a four-under-par 68 to headline a group of six players tied atop a log-jammed leaderboard after the first round of the 80th US Women's Open on Thursday. Fellow South Korean Im Jin-hee, Japan's Rio Takeda, Americans Yealimi Noh and Angel Yin and Spanish LPGA rookie Julia Lopez Ramirez shared the lead, one stroke in front of a group of five players tied on three-under-par 69. Another seven players were two adrift, but Kim said she wouldn't expend her energy worrying about who might be in striking distance. 'Honestly, I'm not thinking about (the) leaderboard because my job is process, not result,' said Kim, who won the 2020 US Open in her major championship debut. 'Next three days, I play the same thing as today: focus on my line, hit it. That's all.' With little wind, Erin Hills, the rolling 6,829-yard par-72 layout in Erin, Wisconsin, offered perhaps its most benign face for the first round of the first US Women's Open to be held there. World No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul takes 1-shot lead into Americas' final round Noh, who holed out for an eagle at the 14th and birdied the par-five 18th, called it a 'good scoring day'. But plenty of marquee names were unable to join the 33 players to shoot under par. All about patience World number one Nelly Korda was playing catchup after a bogey at the third, finally getting to even par 72 with a birdie at the par-five 18th. Defending champion Yuka Saso's bid for a third US Open title in five seasons got off to a rocky start with a two-over-par 74. World number two Jeeno Thitikul of Tailand opened with a three-over 75 while third-ranked Lydia Ko of New Zealand – whose resume includes three major titles but no US Open – posted a one-over 73. 'I think I'm happy with it,' Korda said. 'Obviously, I wish the ball found the bottom of the cup a little bit more. 'First day of the US Open, it's all about patience. I'm striking it pretty well, so hopefully I can carry that into the next couple days.' While Korda struggled to get things going, Kim opened with back-to-back birdies at the 10th and 11th. After a bogey at the 12th she added birdies at 16 and 17 and took the solo lead at five-under with birdie bombs at the first and third before giving a stroke back at the sixth. Takeda had three birdies and one bogey on each side while Im opened with nine straight pars and had all four of her birdies in a five-hole span from the 10th through the 14th. Lopez Ramirez was also bogey-free, an impressive performance for the 22-year-old who came through qualifying to book her first US Open appearance. 'Honestly it's been my first bogey-free round since I turned pro, so it's quite exciting,' said the Spaniard, whose season was disrupted by an appendectomy in March. Lopez Ramirez and Yin were among the afternoon starters, Yin shaking off an early bogey with five birdies – including three in a row at eight, nine and 10 – before a setback at 17. In the right rough off the tee she came up short of the green, then saw her third shot spin off into a collection area, from where she managed to salvage a bogey. 'This is what this course can do,' said Yin, who regained a share of the lead with a birdie at the last.
