US Women’s Open: Nelly Korda advances in opening round as Alison Lee shares lead at Riviera Country Club | Golf News
Alison Lee took a share of the lead at the US Women’s Open on Friday with a second-round 68 in her hometown of Los Angeles, joining Ruoning Yin at 4-under 138 atop a crowded leaderboard at Riviera.
World No. 1 Nelly Korda jumped into the hunt for her first Women’s Open title by recording the day’s lowest round of 67, which left her two shots behind struggling on Thursday.
Opening-round leader Jennifer Kupcho, Sei Young Kim and Mexico’s Gaby Lopez were tied for six at 3-under 139, while Korda and three others were at 140.
The prestigious course at this 100-year-old country club hosted the first US Women’s Open, and it was unforgiving to the world’s best.
Only two players made it through Friday’s round – including China’s Yin, who called Riviera “passive aggressive” despite being the only player in the field to shoot two rounds of sub-70 so far.
“I like it,” Yin said. “I always say the harder (the course), the better.”
Yin carded her second straight 69 in the same city where she earned her first LPGA Tour victory in 2023, just months before she won the PGA Women’s Championship.
He tied for fourth at last year’s US Open at Erin Hills.
Lee played under a second straight day at Riviera, highlighted by back-to-back birdies just before the turn.
The new mom’s first two rounds are an extension of a strong start to the season that included a third-place finish at the Mizuho Americas Open four weeks ago.
“Winning in my backyard, where I grew up, would be great,” Lee said.
“I don’t want to get ahead of myself … but if you had told me I would be in this place at the beginning of the week, I probably would have started crying.”
The 31-year-old Lee is a two-time Solheim Cup winner, but has yet to win on the LPGA Tour while managing just two top-10s in 44 majors.
Alison Lee took most of the last year off after giving birth to her son Levi in 2024
“I’m not going to lie, it was very difficult,” Lee said. “I went through several stages, several breakdowns, if you want to call it, in my career, even when I was 15 years old. … no matter what I did, no matter how much I practiced, it was not going my way.”
Lee then took most of the last year off to give birth to her son, Levi.
Although he says his sleep rhythm is constantly disrupted by his 13-month-old baby these days, his parents and his family in Valencia have relieved some of the burden during the Open.
Levi was there for Friday’s round, but Lee’s teammate only took him out to watch the 18th hole because the youngster has a habit of getting excited: He yelled “Ball!” when his mother returned to the Chevron Championship earlier this year.
With his family around him, Lee finally has the time he’s been waiting for.
“I feel like I didn’t achieve what I could have done here on the trip,” said Lee.
“It was definitely really frustrating. I’m at a point now where I’ve really come to terms with it, but like I said, that’s part of why I want to come back and play. I feel like I was really close a lot of times.”
Kim was one shot behind Kupcho after the opening round, and was pushed into the lead at the start of the second despite shooting one over nine.
Jennifer Kupcho had a one-shot lead after the first round but only made it to the third
He played the 18th to reduce his share of the lead in one of the final groups of the day. Kupcho entered the second round with a 73 after carding just 66 in the tournament so far on Thursday.
in England Charlie Hull he tripled after a bogey on the 18th hole in the second round bumped him to two for the day, pushing him away from the leaders.
Lottie Woad he just survived the cut after an even-par second round when he made four bogeys and two birdies.
Madelene Sagstrom, who is seven months pregnant, improved on her first round performance and hit two birdies, but with a string of bogeys alongside them, her fifth round of 76 meant she didn’t make the cut.
Ireland’s Leona Maguire struggled to 75 to take nine overs after two rounds so she also failed to make the cut.
Watch the US Women’s Open all week live on Sky Sports, with the third round being broadcast from Saturday at 10pm on Sky Sports Mix. Get Sky Sports or stream golf without a contract
