The 5 most exciting ways the U.S. Women’s Open could end

With the exception of 1 participant, shifting day didn’t carry loads of motion.

On a vivid, blustery Saturday at Pebble Beach, in the third spherical of 78th U.S. Women’s Open, Nasa Hataoka of Japan fired a tournament-best 66 to vault into the lead, whereas American Bailey Tardy slipped right into a tie for third.

Otherwise, the shuffling was restricted atop the leaderboard.

Sunday is a brand new day, although. The winds will likely be up, the greens will likely be agency, and a few notable contenders stay in the hunt at this watershed girls’s nationwide championship, the first-ever held at Pebble.

Could something occur? Well, loads of issues could. Here are 5 of the most exciting ways the match could end.

Rose Zhang goes wild

The rookie phenom and pre-tournament favourite drew the greatest crowds on Saturday, and Zhang gave them a dose of regular, if unspectacular, par-for-the-day play. She’s eight photographs off the tempo heading into Sunday, which suggests she’ll possible have to show up one thing particular. That one thing would flip Pebble the other way up.

Minjee Lee repeats

The personable Aussie will likely be paired with Zhang on Sunday. Here’s one thing else they’ve in frequent. She’s additionally eight behind, having matched Zhang’s third-round rating. The distinction is that Lee is the defending champ. If she will be able to storm to victory, she’ll develop into the first participant to go back-to-back in the Women’s Open since Karrie Webb in 2001 and 2002.

A Bailey Tardy social gathering

An All-American in school, the former Georgia Bulldog has been favored to the Wyndham Clark of the girls’s sport. Oozing with expertise, a star in ready. She’s solely three photographs again. A month after Clark’s breakout win, on one other fabled California course, may we reprise the themes from LACC?

Jiyai Shin strikes a profitable chord

America’s received expertise. So does Shin, a smooth-voiced singer who has launched a number of CDs in her native South Korea. If she will be able to stand up the charts from her present spot of 5 again, the trophy presentation may embrace a rousing solo on the 18th inexperienced.

Nasa Hataoka runs away with it

True, it’s at all times extra enjoyable to see a nail-biting end. And given the bunched leaderboard, we’ll in all probability get one. But if she will be able to sustain her scorching Saturday play — she was the solely competitor to interrupt 70 in the third spherical — it might make for a riveting efficiency. And a measure of redemption for Hataoka, who misplaced in the playoff in the 2021 U.S. Women’s Open at the Olympic Club.

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Josh Sens

Golf.com Contributor

A golf, meals and journey author, Josh Sens has been a GOLF Magazine contributor since 2004 and now contributes throughout all of GOLF’s platforms. His work has been anthologized in The Best American Sportswriting. He can be the co-author, with Sammy Hagar, of Are We Having Any Fun Yet: the Cooking and Partying Handbook.