Lots of surprises during the opening round of the U.S. Women’s Open.
Japan's Mamiko Higa shot the lowest round in an open debut with a bogey-free 6-under 65. Pretty impressive considering she had played the course only once, a few days before teeing off this morning.
To put things in perspective, I’ve played RTJ in Gainesville, VA once, but the notion that I could return tomorrow morning and post an 81 is hard to fathom (even if I am successful at keeping it together — even more unlikely if it’s an early morning tee time)
Higa was a shot ahead of another first-timer in 20-year-old Esther Henseleit of Germany and 19-year-old American amateur, Gina Kim.
Hat tip to all three who now have the jump of the world’s top ranked players. We’ll be rooting for them on the weekend.