When Minjee Lee first announced her presence at a USGA championship a decade ago by winning the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship, she was asked by Golf Channel reporter Steve Burkowski if more USGA titles were in the offing. Her two-word answer: “I’m coming.” That might have sounded like bravado, but it turned out to be prophetic.
When she successfully defended her U.S. Women’s Open title in 2001 at Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club, Karrie Webb ran away from a stellar field to produce an eight-stroke victory. Now a fellow Australian with close ties to the World Golf Hall of Famer is threatening to do the same thing on the same Donald Ross layout in the 77th U.S. Women’s Open Presented by ProMedica.
Mother Nature gave the field in the 77th U.S. Women’s Open Presented by ProMedica a bit of a breather for round two on Friday at Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club. Stifling heat was replaced by comfortable temperatures in the 80s and an overnight shower softened the course just a touch.
Fifteen years ago, as a 17-year-old amateur, Mina Harigae made her debut in the U.S. Women’s Open Presented by ProMedica at Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club. While the week ended with a disappointing final-round 80, Harigae would use that experience to help her win the U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links title a few weeks later and play on a victorious USA Curtis Cup Team the following year.
After a second-straight 65 at the CME Group Tour Championship, Celine Boutier took a four-stroke lead in Naples at fourteen-under. Her 130 becomes a career and tournament-best 36-hole score, as she holds the second-round lead for only the second time in her career. It’s the fourth time in 24 starts this season that Boutier has opened up with two straight rounds in the 60s.
England’s Georgia Hall produced another solid day at the AIG Women’s Open, shooting a round of 69 to share the lead at the halfway stage. The 2018 Women’s Open champion backed up her first round of 68 with another round in the 60s to put her on seven-under-par for the tournament.
