Jennifer Kupcho of Littleton, Colorado, the 2022 Chevron Championship winner, is the leader after the first round of the 2026 United States Women’s Open. On Thursday at the Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles, California, Kupcho shot a score of five-under-par 66.
Kupcho had seven birdies and two bogeys for her round. She got off to a hot start. Kupcho birdied the first, second, third, seventh, 11th, 12th, and 16th holes, and bogeyed the sixth and 15th holes.
Sei-young Kim of Seoul, South Korea is alone in second place at -4. Kim won the 2020 Women’s PGA Championship.
There is then a five-way tie for third place at -3. Those golfers two strokes back are Hyun-jo Yoo of South Korea, I-na Yoon of South Korea, Gaby Lopez of Mexico City, Mexico, Minji Kang of South Korea, and Hinako Shibuno of Okayama, Japan, the 2019 Women’s British Open champion.
Six more golfers remain in contention at -2. Those golfers who had an opening score of 69 and are three strokes back of Kupcho are Australians Karis Davidson of Gold Coast and Minjee Lee of Perth, Nasa Hataoka of Kasama, Japan, Ruoning Yin of Kunming, China, Jiyai Shin of Yeonggwang, South Korea, and Patty Tavatanakit of Bangkok, Thailand.
Lee, Yin, Shin and Tavatanakit are past major champions. Lee won the 2021 Evian Championship, the 2022 United States Women’s Open and the 2025 Women’s PGA Championship. Yin won the 2023 Women’s PGA Championship, Shin won the 2008 and 2012 Women’s British Open and Tavatanakit won the 2021 ANA Inspiration.
