u. s. women

“Dumbo” might not sound like the most flattering nickname, but In Gee Chun has embraced it.

Years ago, her coach in South Korea gave her the moniker because of her exceptionally keen hearing, the ability to hear someone clearing their throat or opening a soda two holes away. She leaned into it ever since. The Disney character adorns her golf bag and is her driver headcover, and her fans refer to themselves as the “Flying Dumbos.”

At the U.S. Women’s Open on Friday, everyone heard Chun’s footsteps. She shot a three-under-par 68 to claim an early share of the lead at Riviera with Jennifer Kupcho and Japan’s Hinako Shibuno.

Many of the contenders were still on the course at press time, but Chun assured herself of a prime position heading into the weekend, in the hunt for her fourth major championship. She won the Open in 2015, Evian in 2016, and Women’s PGA in 2022.

Were Chun to win this tournament, she would be in rarefied air with bookend victories separated by 11 years. According to Elias Sports Bureau, among women with multiple U.S. Open titles, Meg Mallon had the longest gap (13 years apart), followed by Annika Sorenstam (10 years).

Of course, there’s a big difference between being at a logjam atop the leaderboard on Friday and lifting the Harton S. Semple Trophy on Sunday.

“Just stick to the game plan, nothing changes,” Chun said of her mindset heading into the weekend. “I don’t want to think about the future to put extra pressure on me.”

Speaking of extra pressure, Kupcho has an arrangement with her mom. They’ll talk before and after the tournament, but not during it.

“Me and my mom kind of have an understanding,” she said, “like, ‘Just don’t text me. I don’t want to hear from you if I play good. I don’t want to hear from you if I play bad. We’ll talk at the end of the tournament.’”

Jennifer Kupcho hits out of a fairway bunker on No. 9 during the second round of the 81st U.S. Women’s Open at Riviera Country Club on Friday.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Kupcho, raised in Colorado, said she hasn’t banned her folks from attending, “But I don’t think they’re going to.”

Maybe she could have used some TLC on Friday. After leading outright Thursday with a 66, she came back to earth with a 73.

That was still enough to keep her squarely in the mix. The same could not be said for Michelle Wie West, who followed a 75 with a 74 — a deflating finish for the LPGA legend who came out of retirement to use her final year of exemption to play at Riviera.

“Obviously I would be lying to say I wasn’t disappointed. I would have loved to have made the cut today, granted all day,” Wie West said. “But I had a blast honestly, with playing here at Riv, such a special week to have played it, and to have family, friends, a lot of familiar faces coming out, it was a lot of fun.

“I hit some good shots, hit some good putts, and kind of felt that feeling again, which is awesome.”

Nelly Korda, ranked No. 1 in the world, was coming on strong Friday afternoon in the wake of a ho-hum 73 in the opening round. She had three birdies and six pars on the front nine in the second round.

Nelly Korda misses a birdie putt on No.3 during the second round of the U.S. Women’s Open on Friday.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Likewise gathering momentum was Alison Lee who shot a 70 on Thursday, and Friday had four birdies through her first 12 holes. She grew up in Valencia and played at UCLA.

Lee had a son, Levi Todd Kidd, in April of last year and was back on the LPGA Tour within four months. She made her 2026 debut at the LET Saudi Ladies International in February and opened with a two-under 70 despite playing with rental clubs, as her regular set was stuck in Amsterdam.

Balancing a major championship and motherhood is no simple challenge.

“It’s been really tough trying to juggle everything,” she told reporters before the Open. “I feel like sometimes I’m drowning under water, but thankfully I have some great people and great help around me where I can get through it.”

She’s staying with her parents in Valencia so she won’t disrupt her son’s schedule, and has a backup room at Megan Khang’s nearby rental home for early tee times.

Recently, her baby had the kind of breakthrough every parent can appreciate.

“He’s sleeping a lot better,” she said. “Therefore, my life has been a lot easier. … I’ve been able to get a little more rest. I’ve been able to work out a little bit more and practice a little bit more.”

Nelly Korda’s bid for a U.S. Women’s Open title began Thursday with a foot fault.

The No. 1-ranked player opened her round at Riviera wearing a pair of golf shoes provided to her by LeBron James, Nike Victory Pro 4s with white uppers, gold swooshes, red-and-navy details and an American flag pin on the laces.

Snazzy as they looked, the shoes were a little loose fitting for Korda, who swapped them for a more familiar pair after she played the first six holes at one over par. She never really found her groove and finished the opening round with a two-over-par 73.

“Just hit it really poorly off the tee,” said Korda, who immediately headed to the practice range after meeting with the media following her round. “Found myself in a lot of trouble on the wrong side of a lot of these pins. 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.”

For others, Riviera — playing host to the major championship for the first time — was as comfortable as an old shoe.

Korea’s Sei Young Kim worked her way to the top of the leaderboard with a 67, making back-to-back birdies on the 10th and 11th holes, then three in a row on Nos. 6, 7 and 8.

Sei Young Kim eyes her putting line on the ninth green during the first round of the U.S. Women’s Open at Riviera Country Club on Thursday.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

According to Elias Sports Bureau, Kim ended a personal streak of 43 consecutive major championship rounds shooting 70 or higher. It was the longest active streak of its kind entering this week.

“The U.S. Open is not regular — not the same as a regular tournament,” Kim said. “So you need to be really patient instead of attacking the pin. So I really try to follow what my caddie says.”

Some caddies have an even closer relationship with their players. On the bag for Michelle Wie West is her husband, Jonnie West, son of late NBA legend Jerry West. Wie West retired three years ago after the Open at Pebble Beach, but came out of retirement to use her last year of exemption to play on this iconic course, celebrating its centennial.

Wie West opened her round with a flourish, crushing her tee shot 293 yards down the left side. Although she missed the green on her approach, chipped up for a short birdie putt but missed it.

Wie West, once one of the biggest stars in the game, qualified for the USGA amateur championship at age 10, the youngest player to do so. She turned professional shortly before her 16th birthday and won five times on the LPGA Tour, with her only major victory coming at the U.S. Open in 2014.

Now a mother of two, Wie West said part of her motivation to return for this tournament was so her daughter, Makenna, who turned 6 this week, will have memories of her playing.

Michelle Wie West, right, and caddie Jonnie West, her husband, discuss an approach shot during a practic round Wednesday.

(Harry How / Getty Images)

“It’s everything,” Wie West said of that inspiration. “Being able to share this with her — even the last couple of months, just practicing. We talk a lot before she goes to bed, and I tell her what I do when she’s at school. ‘I had a tough day at practice. This is what I overcame.’”

Makenna is almost a sounding board.

“My daughter is like the best sports psychologist I’ve ever had, honestly. … I’m going to try to live by the words I tell my daughter. I always tell her before a game or tournament, ‘I don’t care about the results. All I care about is a good attitude and that you try your hardest.’ That’s my No. 1 goal this week.”

Still in search of her first major victory is Gaby López, whose 68 on Thursday put her just behind the leader. She grew up in Mexico City and said Riviera has a familiar and comfortable feel.

“It’s all high elevation [there] and flies way less here,” she said. “But the same kikuyu [grass] and the ball sits up, and you just have to be ready to hit some flier shots off the fairway.

“That rough, you can get lucky at times. … It’s so sticky it’s hard to get it out, especially when you’re going to have no spin. So you just have to be very specific where you’re going to miss it if you don’t hit the fairway.”

Lopez has started hot in the U.S. Open before, although she wasn’t pleased with those results. She was four under through her first nine holes in 2017 before going two over in her second nine. She shot a 70 that day and was tied for 13th after the opening round, but wound up missing the cut.

Her approach this year is simple and straightforward.

“Right now let’s be smart, let’s be focused on what you want to achieve,” she said, “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.”

Reaching the summit is a dream. But staying there? That’s an altogether different challenge.

Maja Stark has a special appreciation for that now, a year after winning the U.S. Women’s Open at Erin Hills and feeling the hefty weight of expectation that came along with it.

For her, the aftermath of that victory brought heightened anxiety, and searing criticism from outsiders when the Swedish professional’s play took a dip.

“You get comments and stuff saying, ‘What happened? You just won a major; why do you suck all of a sudden?‘” Stark said at the Chevron Championship in April. “That does take some energy and just makes you focus on the wrong things. Then I got even more stressed and anxious.”

Maja Stark plays a shot from a bunker on the 17th hole during the third round of the Chevron Championship on April 25.

(Alex Slitz / Getty Images)

Stark said she sought professional help in the form of a mental coach, sports psychologist and therapist and now believes she’s better able to withstand the scrutiny that comes with winning at the highest tier.

That career-shaping pressure will be on display again this week when the USGA brings the U.S. Women’s Open to Riviera Country Club for the first time, merging the game’s most prestigious women’s championship with a historic venue celebrating its centennial year. The tournament takes place Thursday through Sunday.

Riviera is a theater, sitting low beneath high hillsides that almost serve as balconies. Players have described the course as a stage because it can feel as if you’re being watched even when you’re alone.

“I think there’s something very nostalgic about the facility,” said Jim Richerson, Riviera’s general manager. “The golf course has never had any major renovations or changes. The clubhouse is the exact same footprint today as it was when it was built in the 1920s.”

The U.S. Women’s Open is the oldest of the LPGA Tour’s five majors, and has long served as the standard by which women’s golf measures itself. It’s open to professionals and elite amateurs through a qualifying process, and the tournament is known for identifying the player who can withstand the most pressure under the most demanding conditions.

NBC will televise the championship and although Mike Tirico will not call the event, he knows the significance of holding it at Riviera.

“Without there being a Masters for women’s golf, that tournament really is the crown jewel of the sport,” Tirico said. “It has become the event people dream of winning. … It’s just appropriate that it’s contested at a place like Riviera that for so many generations has come to define a great championship test of golf.”

A look at some of the players to watch:

Nelly Korda

Nelly Korda celebrates after winning the Chevron Championship on April 26.

(David J. Phillip / Associated Press)

The world’s No. 1 player is a major needle mover for women’s golf and is a significant source of ratings when she’s in contention. She had a record five consecutive victories last season and seven overall. Her missing major is the U.S. Women’s Open. She finished in a runner-up spot last year and left Erin Hills firmly believing a win was within reach.

Jeeno Thitikul

Jeeno Thitikul plays a shot from the fairway during the first round of the Queen City Championship on May 14.

(Jeff Dean / Associated Press)

The former World No. 1 is still in pursuit of her first major championship. She’s a big question mark in the field.

Lydia Ko

Lydia Ko hits from the fairway during the second round of the LPGA Honda Thailand on Feb. 22.

(Kittinun Rodsupan / Associated Press)

This Hall of Fame player is the only golfer in modern Olympic history to win a complete set of medals — gold, silver and bronze — across three different Olympic Games. She’s still looking for her first U.S. Women’s Open win.

Charley Hull

Charley Hull hits off the 16th tee during the first round of the Mizuho Americas Open on May 7.

(Seth Wenig / Associated Press)

A colorful character who went viral during the 2024 Open for smoking a cigarette while signing autographs and playing. She was among a cluster who finished second in that tournament. She has three victories on the LPGA Tour but has yet to win a major.

Rose Zhang

Rose Zhang hits from the ninth tee during the final round of the Queen City Championship on May 17.

(Dylan Buell / Getty Images)

Zhang, who has been splitting time between Stanford and the LPGA, amassed a remarkable collection of victories as an amateur and three years ago, became the first player in 72 years to win an LPGA Tour event in her professional debut.

Minjee Lee

Minjee Lee prepares to putt during the third round of the Chevron Championship on April 25.

(Sarah Stier / Getty Images)

Lee, an Australian star, has won three majors including the U.S. Women’s Open in 2022. Her younger brother, Min Woo, won the 2016 U.S. Junior Amateur, making them the first brother-sister tandem to win the USGA’s junior championships.

Yuka Saso

Yuka Saso lines up a putt during the first round of the Mizuho Americas Open on May 7.

(Seth Wenig / Associated Press)

She is the anomaly of anomalies, with zero wins on the LPGA Tour with the exception of two U.S. Women’s Open victories. She won the first of those at 19 years, 11 months and seven days — astoundingly tying her for the youngest player to win the Open with Inbee Park, who was precisely that old when she won in 2008.

Lilia Vu

Lilia Vu watches her shot from the seventh tee during the third round of the Queen City Championship on May 16.

(Dylan Buell / Getty Images)

Vu grew up in Fountain Valley and was a standout at UCLA. She won two majors in 2023 but lately has been battling back problems.

Michelle Wie West

Michelle Wie West of the United States hits from the third tee during the first round of the Mizuho Americas Open on May 7.

(Sarah Stier / Getty Images)

Wie West retired three years ago after the Open at Pebble Beach, but is coming out of retirement to use her last year of exemption to play at Riviera. Her husband, Jonnie West, son of late NBA icon Jerry West, will be caddying for her.