Lancaster, 31 May: Aditi Ashok, looking to make a mark at the Majors, opened with a modest 3-over 74 on a difficult day for scoring at the US Women’s Open being played at the Lancaster Country Club.
Aditi was tied-35 as only four players shot under-par scores and Japan’s Yuka Saso, the 2021 champion, led at 2-under. She was followed by amateur Adela Cernousek, Thailand’s Wichanee Meechai and Andrea Lee who all shot 1-under 69.
Aditi, playing her 29th Major, started on the 10th and birdied the 13th, but dropped shots on 15th and 18th. On her second nine, she bogeyed the second and ninth and in between double-bogeyed the Par-4 fourth and birdied the third and fifth for a hard day’s work with 73.
It was a drama-filled day. Sophia Popov aced the par-3 eighth hole and the World No. 1 Nelly Korda, a strong favourite, made the first 10 of her LPGA Tour career on the tricky par-3 12th hole, which was her third hole of the round.
She saw her ball run into the watery penalty area short of the green three times. She carded 10-over 80 and, at T-137, could miss the cut. Korda finished the day with five bogeys and two birdies in addition to her 10.
It is Saso’s first time holding the lead after any round in a major championship since her victory at The Olympic Club, when she held the top spot on the leaderboard after the second round.
There are 10 players at even par and in a tie for fifth, including the youngest player in the field, 15-year-old Asterisk Talley, and 2022 U.S. Women’s Open champion Minjee Lee. They are even par 70.
Some of the big names struggling included Lydia Ko (80), Rose Zhang (79), Brooke Henderson (80).
Defending champion Allisen Corpuz is in a tie for 70th. (PTI)