Last two U.S. Women's Open winners lurking after opening round at Pebble Beach

The last two U.S. Women’s Open tournaments featured the crowning achievements for Yuka Saso and Minjee Lee, the past two winners. Could this year’s edition be a sequel for either?

The opening round at Pebble Beach Golf Links produced a bunched leaderboard, with Xiyu Lin and Hyo Joo Kim setting the pace at 4-under 68. A host of great players — including 2021 runner-up Nasa Hataoka (3-under), 2019 winner Jeongeun Lee (2-under) and 2021 Chevron Championship winner Patty Tavatanakit (1-under) — finished the round behind them.

Scroll a little further down the board, though, and you will find Saso and Lee camped out at even. Both players teed off in the morning wave and put together very Open-like rounds to stay in the picture. 

Lee, going off at 8:17 a.m. local time on the California coast, got off to a quick start, birdieing the par-five second and short par-four fourth. She cooled off from there, notching just one more birdie against three bogeys to come in at 72. 

As for Saso, her 8:50 a.m. tee time yielded an opening birdie, followed by eight consecutive pars. Bogeys on No. 10 and No. 12, countered by a birdie at the manageable par-four 15th, resulted in a 72 of her own. 

Obviously, the two still have some work to do over the next few days, but their respective track records indicate both are up to the task. 

At Olympic Club in 2021, Saso fired a Friday 67 to vault into the lead, then stayed in the hunt throughout the weekend before winning in a sudden-death playoff against Hataoka. Now, Olympic might not be Pebble Beach, but the brawny nature of that track indicates that when conditions are tough, Saso steps up.

Well, with noticeable wind in the forecast and Pebble Beach continuing play firm and fast, conditions certainly will be tough over the next three days. 

Then there is Lee. Last summer at Pine Needles, the Aussie shot Friday and Saturday rounds of 66 and 67, respectively, to ascend into the lead. She needed just a final-round 71 to capture a four-shot victory. 

Defending any title, not to mention a major, is a challenge. However, given her stellar iron play, the 27-year-old will have numerous chances to birdie her way into the mix come Sunday. With the afternoon wave yet to finish, Lee was second on Thursday in strokes gained approach, which measures her performance on approach shots relative to the field average.

For both players, 54 holes still remain on this iconic venue. Thursday at the U.S. Women’s Open is often about hanging around, and Saso and Lee did exactly that. 

If the last two years are any indication, then look for both to hang around a little longer.