MIAMI, Fla. — It’s been all smiles for the women competing at this year’s Amateur Championship, as they take on the prestigious Indian Creek Country Club. Day one delivered a tightly contested battle, setting the stage for an exciting final round of stroke play tomorrow before we shift into match play and the round of 32.
What Happened?
The opening round of stroke play saw steady performances across the board, with many players navigating the course just above or below even par. At the top of the leaderboard, Siuue Wu emerged with a slim advantage after firing a 2-under 70, giving her a one-shot lead heading into the final round of stroke play. Wu’s round featured a scorecard highlighted by five birdies and three bogeys, as she managed to separate herself from a tightly packed field.
Close behind, Leah Gram and Sophia Dyer both turned in strong performances, each carding a 1-under 71. Dyer, defending Women's Amateur Champion, birdied her last two holes to narrowly position herself in a tie for second place. A group of players sit just two shots off the lead at even-par 72, including Remi Bacardi, Stephanie Kono, Zoe Shamy, and Staci Pla.
With such a clustered leaderboard and only a few strokes separating the top competitors, tomorrow’s final round of stroke play promises to be an exciting showdown.
What’s Next?
The final round of stroke play will begin tomorrow morning with an 8:00 AM shotgun start. A tie for last qualifier's place will be decided immediately by a hole-by-hole playoff. Round of 32 tee times off #1 & #10 will run from 1:30 PM - 2:45 PM. By the end of the day, 16 players will remain.
Notable
- Sophia Dyer was one of just two players to card an eagle on the day. She stuck her approach on the par-5 11th, 490 yards, to eight feet and rolled in the putt.
- Yaxuan Zheng recorded the other eagle, doing so on the 500-yard par-5 9th hole.
- The 11th played as the easiest hole of the day, yielding one eagle and 19 birdies.
- The 12th proved to be the toughest challenge, with players combining for 31 bogeys and 11 double bogeys or worse.
Quotable
"I had 245 yards into the green, which is a perfect 3-wood. It’s my favorite club in the bag so I knew I had a good shot at it. Hit it perfectly to 4-5 feet and drained the putt!" -- Sophia Dyer on her eagle on the 11th hole
“It was very windy today, at least one or two clubs. Some thunderstorms too. The greens were also really good, but really fast. The key to success is just make your putts, and 2 putt as much as you can. Get away with par on most holes and the birdies will come.” – Leah Gram on her first round 1-under (71)
“I’m exhausted. It was pretty windy out there and it was a grind. I’m excited to put my feet up and relax a bit. I kept the ball in play, made some nice putts, and just stayed patient out there.” – Stephanie Kono on day one conditions
