The fourth major of the 2025 women’s golf season is now underway, and one of the biggest news stories is the fact there are two Australians tied for the lead. Gabriela Ruffels of Melbourne and Grace Kim of Sydney are tied for the lead at -6. There is actually a five-way tie for the lead. Those also at -6 are Americans Jennifer Kupcho and Andrea Lee, and Ireland’s Leona Maguire. Of those in the lead is one major champion. Kupcho won the 2022 Chevron Championship in Rancho Mirage, California.
And another Australian star is one stroke back at -5. Minjee Lee of Perth is alone in sixth place, and very much in contention. Lee won the 2021 Evian Championship, 2022 United States Women’s Open, and 2025 Women’s PGA Championship.
There are then nine golfers two strokes back in seventh place. Those at -4 are American Nelly Korda, Japan’s Mao Saigo and Ayaka Furue, South Africa’s Casandra Alexander, India’s Aditi Ashok, Germany’s Helen Briem, South Korea’s So-mi Lee and Hye-Jin Choi, and China’s Mary Liu. Korda, Saigo, and Furue are major champions. Korda won the 2021 Women’s PGA Championship and 2024 Chevron Championship. Furue won the 2024 Evian Championship and Saigo won the 2025 Chevron Championship.
There are then seven golfers three strokes back. Those at -3 are Thailand’s Jeeno Thitikul, France’s Celine Boutier, English amateur Lottie Woad, England’s Cara Gainer, Mexico’s Gaby Lopez, South Korea’s Ina Yoon, and American Meghan Khang. Boutier is the only major champion among these seven as she won the 2023 Evian Championship.
Ruffels and Kim had six birdies and zero bogeys. Ruffels birdied the first, seventh, 12th, 14th, 16th, and 18th holes. Kim birdied the second, third, seventh, ninth, 11th, and 18th holes. Kupcho had five birdies, one eagle, and one bogey. She birdied the fifth, eighth, 13th, 15th, and 18th holes, eagled the par five ninth hole, and bogeyed the 12th hole. Andrea Lee had seven birdies and one bogey. She birdied the first, fourth, seventh, ninth, 15th, 17th, and 18th holes, and bogeyed the second hole. Maguire had five birdies, one eagle and one bogey. She had a hole in one on the second hole, birdied the seventh, 11th, 13th, 17th, and 18th holes, and bogeyed the 10th hole.
