Mina Harigae leads 2022 U.S. Women’s Open

Mina Harigae (YouTube)

The first round of the 2022 United States Women’s Open is in the books from the Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club from Southern Pines, North Carolina. After 18 holes, Mina Harigae of Monterey, California shot a score of seven-under-par 64. The score of -7, was the second best score ever to begin a U.S. Women’s Open. At the 1994 U.S, Women’s Open, Helen Alfredsson of Gothenburg, Sweden began the tournament at -8.

On Thursday, Harigae had nine birdied and two bogeys. She birdied the first, second, fourth, sixth, ninth, 12th, 13th, 15th and 16th holes, and bogeyed the 10th and 14th holes. The birdie on the 16th hole was Harigae’s most spectacular shot of her round.

The long chip put Harigae at -7, and gave her a one-stroke lead over Sweden’s Ingrid Lindblad. Just how great was Lindblad’s six-under-par 65? Well, it was the best score ever by an amateur in the history of the United States Women’s Open. Lindblad, who is 22 years old from Halmstad, is only in her second major of her career. The first major was a 30th place finish at the 2020 United States Women’s Open in Houston. That was the major that took place in December, and was won by A-lim Kim of South Korea, 11 days before Christmas.

There are three players three strokes back of Harigae in third place at -4. There you can find Australia’s Minjee Lee, Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist and American Ryan O’Toole. Lee and Nordqvist are major champions. Lee won the 2021 Evian Championship in France, and Nordqvist is a three-time major champion. She has won the 2009 Women’s PGA Championship, the 2017 Evian Championship and the 2021 Women’s British Open.

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