PACIFIC PALISADES — While Jennifer Kupcho is a proven major champion and multiple-time LPGA Tour winner she has struggled mightily in her country’s national championship, with her best career finish being a tie for 21st in 2017 when she was still an amateur.
But based on her 5-under-par 66 in the first round of the U.S. Women’s Open at Riviera Country Club on Thursday, Kupcho’s struggles in this event might be coming to an end. It’s the lowest score she’s ever produced in a U.S. Open, besting her previous low round by four shots. Her strong performance earned her sole possession of the lead by one stroke over Sei Young Kim.
A group of five players that includes Gabby Lopez, Ina Yoon, Hyunjo Yoo, Minji Kang and Hinako Shibuno all finished at 3-under 68, leaving them two shots behind Kupcho.
A large group of players, including Minjee Lee, Karis Davidson, Nasa Hataoka, Ruoning Yin and Patty Tavatanakit are three shots off the lead after opening at 69. World No. 1 Nelly Korda struggled with her ball striking on day one, resulting in a 2-over 73. World No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul also finished at 2 over.
Kupcho opened the tournament with a bang, making birdies on her first three holes, including the par-4, second hole where her approach shot nearly bounced into the cup for eagle. Her lone bad swing on the par-3 sixth hole led to a three-putt bogey but other than that Kupcho was totally in control of her game.
She remained in control on Riviera’s famed back nine, making three birdies, including one on the par-4 12th hole, which is traditionally one of the toughest scoring holes on the course.
“I definitely don’t have the best track record at the U.S. Open, but I came into this week trying to stay calm and have fun,” Kupcho said. “To be out here competing, be at the top is pretty cool. Obviously something I’ve never been able to say even after one round, so pretty cool to be able to say that. I was hitting the ball well today. Also rolling the ball really well with the putter. So seeing a lot of things fall definitely helped with the confidence with my putter.”
Kupcho said her strong opening round not only gets her off to a great start but also eases some of the pressure that came as a result of her previous struggles in this event.
While Riviera proved difficult for many in the field on Thursday, Kupcho appeared relaxed and confident from start to finish. Kupcho visited the course a few months ago while in Los Angeles to compete in the JM Eagle LA Championship. She said from the moment she stepped on the property, she felt at home.
“I feel like I just really, really like the golf course,” said Kupcho, who won the 2022 Chevron Championship in Rancho Mirage for her only major title. “It’s kind of a ball striker’s paradise, just hit it down the fairway, hit it on the green and make the putts. It is a big golf course and I obviously have a lot of length off the tee. So that certainly helps me have shorter clubs on the fairway. And then if I do miss a fairway, shorter clubs off the rough definitely can help me control it a little better. That certainly helped today.”
After a three-putt bogey from just off the green on the par-3 fourth hole, it would have been easy for Kim to get a little frustrated.
But having played in 13 U.S. Opens during her career, Kim understands you’re going to make bogeys in this tournament and when you do, you simply need to shrug them off and focus on the next hole.
The South Korean veteran did just that after her three-putt hiccup, bouncing back to birdie three of her final four holes for her 67.
“The U.S. Open is not the same as a regular tournament, so you need to be really patient instead of attacking the pin,” Kim said. “So I try to really follow what my caddie says and try to (stay calm) every hole. Even though I made a bogey (on No. 4), I try to make patient, patient until the end.”
As a way to get a little more familiar with Riviera and its kikuyu grass, Kim took time the week before the tournament to play an extra practice round with the hopes of being more comfortable when she teed it up on Thursday.
“I tried to get used to the grass because the grass is not the same as a regular tournament,” Kim said. “So I try to practice a lot and it’s helped me a lot. The course is not easy. Every hole is a test. I played it quite solid today, so I’m very happy with that. But we have three more days, and I look forward to it.”
Halfway through her round, Lopez was 5 under and at the top of the leaderboard. While she gave back a few shots over her final nine holes, the Mexico City native was thrilled with her performance and the position she finds herself in heading into Friday.
Like Kupcho, Lopez had high praise for Riviera and the condition the course is in. She too made several pre-tournament visits to the course as a way to get more comfortable with the layout and where you can and can’t miss shots.
“It feels like Mexico,” Lopez said. “This is exactly the kind of grass that I grew up in, kikuyu and poa. I don’t know, I feel like I put myself in position that I’m hitting more fades off the tee, and that’s helping a lot. But overall I feel like it’s just getting a little bit more familiar. I’m a little bit more adaptable than past years, I would say, with different type of shots and different type of grasses as well.”
Coming into the season, Lopez and her team put a heavy emphasis on her performance in the major championships, making Thursday’s strong start proof to Lopez that she is on the right track.
“Trying to excel at majors has been the goal this year,” Lopez said. “It’s hard to stick to schedule when you don’t play as well at the beginning of the season, so that kind of makes it that you have to keep playing. But my team keeps saying let’s be smart, let’s be focused on what you want to achieve, and at the end of the day, let’s put yourself in a position that you can have a shot on the back nine on Sunday.”
Being focused on trying to be at her best in the majors is something Korda has done since she turned professional. She attributed her first-round struggles to her lack of control off the tee.
“I found myself in a lot of trouble on the wrong sides of a lot of these pins,” Korda said. “I just felt like I was kind of just grinding to make safe pars. It wasn’t a great day. I hit it really good Monday through Wednesday, so I have honestly no idea where this came from.”