Only time will tell if the rental is a scarier place than the solo lead in a U.S. Open.
The list of big names who missed the cut at the 2024 U.S. Women’s Open is a Who’s Who in the game: Nelly Korda, Rose Zhang, In Gee Chun, Brooke Henderson, Lexi Thompson, Lydia Ko. They’re all going home after 36 holes, even with the cut coming in at 8 over.
But there are three recent major champions in contention after two days, including the winners of two of the last three U.S. Women’s Opens.
Wichanee Meechai leads the way at 4 under with Andrea Lee two shots back. They are the only two players to post a round in the 60s in each of the first two rounds.
Only four players finished under par through 36 holes and two are major champions: Minjee Lee, winner of the 2022 U.S. Women’s Open and 2021 Amundi Evian, and Yuka Saso, who won the 2021 U.S. Women’s Open.
Just behind those four are eight golfers tied for fifth at 1 over, a group that includes another recent major winner, 2019 AIG Women’s British Open champ Hinako Shibuno.
Also tied for fifth are two amateurs, Asterisk Talley and Megan Schofill. A total of four amateurs made the cut.
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The difficult Lancaster Country Club layout has certainly turned things sideways this week, making for an unpredictable leaderboard.
“It’s really tough out there. The course requires all of your attention on every single golf shot,” said Lee. “Just staying super patient and trying to hit fairways, hit greens and take the birdies when I can. But par is a really, really good score out here, so that’s what I’m going to try and do on the weekend, just try and make as many pars as I can.”
Lee, who won once on tour in 2022, has a career-best T-9 in a major at last year’s AIG Women’s British Open.
Minjee Lee, meanwhile, sounded a little less stressed about the layout and conditions.
“I’m really enjoying my time so far,” she said. “The course is a really lovely walk, so a lot of different type of holes, so a lot of character to the course. It’s just nice to look at, and it’s tricky. The rough is up. The greens are fast. That’s what I expect for a U.S. Open. Yeah, I’m enjoying it.”
So about that haunted house…
Thailand’s Meechai, 31, has yet to win on the LPGA. In seven events in 2024, she’s missed three cuts and has just one top 10, a T-7 at the Cognizant Founders Cup three weeks ago. She is in unchartered waters for sure.
“To be honest, before the tee time, I was so nervous,” she admitted. “My hands just shaking, my brain just stop working. But trying to commit to the shot. I know that the course is hard; just go with the flow probably. That’s my point, and just have fun.”
Meechai has never held the lead in a tournament before.
“Never. This is my first time, and it’s U.S. Open, so I get more nervous now, I think,” she said.
She was later asked if she was staying with anyone this week but said it’s just her in a rental house.
“I’m the only one in my house right now. I was going to book the hotel because it’s very last minute that I made the qualifying. I booked the hotel already, and Pajaree [Anannarukarn, a fellow Thai pro], she just told me that she have a house because she book it like way long time ago, but she didn’t make it, and she asked me do you want a house.
“So I was like, OK, I prefer the house because I can do laundry, I can cook, everything. So I take the house and then stay, kind of haunted house a little bit. I’m so scared the first night but it’s fine now.
“But I think that probably if they have a ghost in that house, I think the ghost like me.”
Only time will tell if the rental is a scarier place than the solo lead in a U.S. Open.
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