US Womens 2021 R2
June 03-06
The Olympic Club (Lake Course), San Francisco, CA
$5,500,000
Round 1, Round 3, Round 4

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

Yuka Saso shot six birdies and two bogeys for a 4-under 67 to reach 6-under and take the 36-hole lead at The Olympic Club. She tied for the second-lowest round of the day but not without a struggle as she hit only six fairways and had to contend with Olympic's thick rough.

US Womens 2021 R2

“If I go in the rough, my mindset is just to go for the fairway,” said Saso. “It's really long and like sticky, so yeah, it's really hard to get on from it. But yeah, I'm glad that I'm a little bit good out of it.”

To compensate, Saso has been one of the strongest putters this week, hitting 66.6% greens in regulation and tied for second with 53 total putts. 

US Womens 2021 R2

This is her second time this year in the lead at the halfway point following the LOTTE Championship in April. Should she win she would become the 31st player to win an LPGA Tour title as a non-Member. It would also be the third consecutive year with a non-Member taking a major title, following A Lim Kim (2020 U.S. Women's Open), Sophia Popov (2020 AIG Women's Open) and Hinako Shibuno (2019 AIG Women's Open).

Jeongeun Lee6 birdied the 15th 16th and 17th to earn solo second at 5-under. Behind her are Megan Khang and amateur Megha Ganne in a tie for third at 4-under.

US Womens 2021 R2

Overnight co-leader Ganne carded an even-par 71 on Friday and is enjoying her new-found spotlight, even getting a Twitter shoutout from the governor of her native New Jersey.

“I wish every event I had a gallery watching me because it just makes me play better, I think,” said Ganne. “And I love being in the spotlight, so it's been really fun.”

US Womens 2021 R2

Inbee Park, the 2008 and 2013 champion, closed with a 69 and set the championship record for the most sub-par rounds with 25 having previously been tied for first with Beth Daniel and Betsy King. Park moves to the weekend at 2-under, in a tie for seventh with fellow major champions Lexi Thompson and Ariya Jutanugarn.

“There aren't that many holes that I can actually make a birdie on this golf course,” said Park. “I really tried to take advantage of the par-5s when I hit the short irons, which I did.”

2020 U.S. Women's Open champion A Lim Kim finished at 7-over and missed the cut by one shot. She becomes the first defending champion to miss the cut since Sung Hyun Park in 2018. 

Other players who missed it include U.S. Women's Open champions Park (+8), Paula Creamer (+9), Brittany Lang (+9), Cristie Kerr (+10) and Michelle Wie West (+12), as well as AIG Women's Open winners Hinako Shibuno (+7) and Sophia Popov (+8). Nelly Korda shot +11 to head home early, while her sister Jessica Korda advanced to the final two rounds at +4, tied for 36th.

US Womens 2021 R2