80th US Women's Open: Crowded Leader Board Marks First Day of U.S. Women's Open

29 May 2025, USGA: The long march to the winner’s circle at the 80th U.S. Women’s Open Presented by Ally began Thursday with a logjam atop the leader board at Erin Hills as Rio Takeda, Yealimi Noh, Jinhee Im, Angel Yin, Julia Lopez Ramirez and 2020 champion A Lim Kim opened with rounds of 4-under-par 68.

The challenges of Erin Hills lurked quietly behind the gently rolling terrain, especially in the demanding collection areas surrounding the brilliant green complexes. Many players got on a roll in the first round only to find Erin Hills whisper back, Oh, no you don’t. And that helped bunch up the leader board.

But the hearty half-dozen in the lead played fabulous golf. They needed to. More than 50 players are within four strokes of the top spot.

“This is a major tournament, so before I came here, I was very much excited and very happy to join this,” said Takeda, who started on No. 10 and packed all her excitement into nine holes beginning on No. 14, making six birdies and two bogeys in that stretch.

“During the play, I really agree that patience is very important,” she said about the complete test of the U.S. Women’s Open.

Noh closed strong. She was sitting at even par then made a birdie on No. 13 followed by an eagle on the par-5 14th hole and another birdie on No. 18.

“Yeah, it was a very solid day,” said Noh. “Hit a lot of fairways, hit a lot of greens. Didn't chip around too much, so that made it more simple. U.S. Opens are always very grand, and coming in, Erin Hills definitely lived up to the expectations. Everything's big – the fairways, the walks, need big drives, but it's an incredible golf course.”

Im opened with nine consecutive pars then birdied four of the next five holes in a bogey-free round. And Kim, who also played the inward nine first, made only one bogey and played a six-hole stretch 4 under par beginning on No. 16.

Yin made birdies on the two holes that played the most difficult on Thursday – Nos. 8 and 9 – as she made five birdies from No. 8 through No. 16 to get to 4 under par. After a bogey on No. 17, she capped her round with another birdie on the final hole.

Christo Iwai, Nasa Hataoka, Chiara Tamburlini, Youmin Hwang and Yui Kawamoto are one stroke off the lead at 69.