Rogers, Arks – Sarah Schmeltzel went to the tie for the lead from the middle of the pack on just five holes Friday, matching the Minamikatsu of the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship with four straight birdies and an 8-under 63 eagle.
Allison Lee also finished strong finishes with birdies and eagles, shooting backwards at what she needs to see in the third tournament since giving birth to her son in late April.
The scores were low at Pinnacle Country Club, so that’s what Schmerzell has to do with it. She goes out at age 34, 2 under, and doesn’t seem to go anywhere. But she knew she would come to some scoring holes, with a short club on Green and two par 5s.
“You have a pretty short club so you should at least look at all of them,” Schmelzell said. “I told a caddy who was 14 years old and walked to the green. I either need to start making some birdies or I’m going to be rapped there today.”
She closed some wedges. She made a long birdie putt on the 17th. And she concluded it with a second shot that was close enough to see the Eagle. She was under 2 years old and 13 holes, and the last five under 6 years old.
Katsu spread eight birdies in a bogey-free round.
The surprise was Lee, who played in the Solheim Cup while pregnant last year. She returned to the competition earlier this month, finishing in Thailand for the 53rd time at the Aramco Series event (Ladies’ European Tour Event) in Houston, and missed a cut at the Cincinnati suburbs of Cincinnati.
Lee wonders if the start of Friday – this is one of two 54-hole events scheduled for the LPGA.
“I think I’ve been back and playing the last few weeks. Usually, the strongest part of my game is my approach shot, my iron. Usually it’s better to hit my numbers,” Lee said. “I felt like that was my weakness over the last few weeks, and I couldn’t get it right.
“So I’ll come this week – that’s also the start of Friday – I had an extra day preparing more range balls and hitting.
It was a good score to get Lee off track, but Lee realized it was a round of one back to becoming a mom on tour. Her son is traveling with her.
Lilia Vu has struggled all year round, as well as NASA NASA NASA NASA NASA NASA KELOTA CIGANDA, LEONA MAGUIRE, and SOMI LEE.
Nelly Korda still didn’t win this season after seven years of 2024, but he couldn’t take advantage of the good scoring conditions. She has a 69 and enters the second round of Friday, closer to the cut line than the lead.
