Michelle Wie West and Annika Sorenstam bid farewell to the US Women’s Open as LPGA rookie Bailey Tardy holds a two-shot lead
Michelle Wie West and Annika Sorenstam stopped to hug as they walked up the 18th fairway at Pebble Beach on Friday and said goodbye to the US Women’s Open.
It was Bailey Tardy who led the way as she picked a good time and a beautiful location to play her best golf.
The 26-year-old LPGA rookie made an eagle on the par-five sixth hole for the second day in a row as part of her torrid start, and she held steady for the rest of the day for a 4-under 68 and a lead of two shots. .
Tardy has only made four cuts and failed to finish in the top 20 her rookie season. Now she has the 36-hole lead over the biggest event in women’s golf.
“It wasn’t as windy on my front nine as it was on the back nine. They sure took advantage of that,’ Tardy said. “Then I could just hold on, I think, through the wind.”
Michelle Wie West and Annika Sorenstam stopped to hug as they said goodbye to the US Open
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Tardy was seven-under 137, one of only six players to remain under par over the weekend, with even stronger winds in the forecast. Of those six, only Nasa Hataoka experienced the afternoon’s flag-clapping wind. Hataoka shot 74.
Rose Zhang went from grateful to making the cut to still very much in the mix. She had a 71 in the morning and by the end of a long day her one-over 145 put her in a tie for 10th.
Most attention went to two players who had no chance for the weekend.
Sorenstam, the 52-year-old 72-win Swede who retired in 2008, accepted an invitation because it’s the first US Women’s Open at Pebble Beach, the most iconic of the US Open courses.
A three-time Women’s Open champion, she hit her last drive on the rocks to the left of the 18th fairway and finished with a double bogey for a 79.
“It’s a bit bittersweet to end up like this, but the memories are more than the pictures,” she said.
Wie West, a dynamic figure known both for her battle against men as a teenager and her Women’s Open title at No. 2 Pinehurst, couldn’t help but laugh as her 30-yard par putt fell on the final hole. Neither made a birdie in two rounds.
Asked to describe her legacy, Wie West, 33, said she hopes it was to inspire girls to make fearless decisions.
LPGA rookie Bailey Tardy has a two shot lead into the biggest event in women’s golf
“If it feels right to do, go ahead and do it, and live out your wildest dreams,” she said after a 79.
Tardy’s only professional win came two years ago on the LPGA’s development tour. She is No. 455 in the world ranking. And she wasn’t the least bit surprised when she walked off the 18th green two shots ahead of Allisen Corpuz (70) and Hyo Joo Kim (71).
“I’ve always believed in myself to win every tournament I enter,” said Tardy, who played in college at Georgia. “I’m good enough to be here, and I’ve been on the LPGA, so I feel like I definitely got the game with the best in the world.”
The best in the world have some work to do.
Rose Zhang went from grateful to making the cut to still very much in the mix on Friday
Second-ranked Nelly Korda shot 73 and made the cut with one shot left, leaving her 12 shots behind. Lydia Ko ranked No. 3 in the world at 3-over 147 as she played one hole—the par-3 fifth—in 5-over par for two days.
Zhang was eight shots down but only had 10 players in front of him with 36 holes left to play.
“I’ve been in this position before where you have to chase and it’s nothing new to me,” she said.
“I’ll just try to do the same. Try to hit as many fairways and greens as you can get more birdie opportunities. I can not do anything else.’
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