2025 U.S. Women's Open First Round Leaderboard, Notes

The Japanese Came to Play

Four Japanese players are in the top seven after round one at the U.S. Women’s Open, led by LPGA rookie Rio Takeda. Chisato Iwai, Nasa Hataoka, and Yui Kawamoto all made their mark on Thursday, with another four players in the top twenty. Sunday evening is a long way away, but if a Japanese player comes out on top, they will have won four of the last six major championships. The depth is real. Many of these players have honed their skills on the JLPGA Tour, and the transition overseas does not seem to be much of a hurdle. When asked about her country’s success, Hinako Shibuno, a major winner herself, said she actually learns from players like the Iwai twins and Takeda. "They are actually motivating me. And sometimes the new players do not have any fears, and that is also good, and I have something to learn from them."

Stats Stats Stats

With real-time strokes gained statistics available this week, a look into the numbers found a couple of fascinating developments through the first 18 holes. As expected, there were a lot of fairways hit on Thursday, with four players hitting all 14 of them. The average fairways hit percentage on the LPGA is right around 70%. Where that number ends up at the end of this week is something to keep an eye on.

Of the six players tied after the first round, all but one gained more than a stroke on the field putting. Julia Lopez Ramirez only gained 0.36 strokes on the greens, but made up the bulk of her advantage off the tee, where she has averaged just under 285 yards this season. Angel Yin led the way in the SG: Putting at 4.75. That number may seem unsustainable for any other player, but Yin is known to get extra hot with the flatstick. After tinkering with her putter for about a month or so, Yin decided to put a new one in play this week because of how it "holds the ground and does what [I] want it to do” on the faster greens here at Erin Hills.

Front Nine Par 3s

The par-3 ninth has gotten all the attention this week and deservedly so. On a rather tame day for wind at Erin Hills, the 139-yard hole still played as the second hardest on the course. There were only 16 birdies the entire day, and there could be even fewer in the second round. With winds expected to pick up and potentially bring in afternoon storms, the ninth will be the place to be on Friday. The other par 3 on the front nine is a sneaky good watch, as well. The 195-yard sixth played as the fifth most difficult hole and gave up fewer birdies than the ninth. Linn Grant, Angel Yin, Patty Tavatanakit, Nelly Korda, Charley Hull, and Lexi Thompson all missed the green during their rounds. Most shots landed short of the pin and still had no chance of stopping. The sixth and the ninth bookend an extremely difficult stretch of four holes, as the par-5 seventh and par-4 eighth played as the 12th and second hardest holes, respectively. If you want to see some U.S. Women's Open carnage, that stretch is a must-watch.

Super Group Buzz

No disrespect to the morning wave, but it felt like the 80th U.S. Women's Open didn't start until the super group of Nelly Korda, Lexi Thompson, and Charley Hull teed off shortly after lunchtime. The buzz and excitement were real, and despite Erin Hills’ size, there were parts of the course that actually got congested and difficult to navigate while following the marquee group. I left the crowds for a few holes to catch up with Linn Grant in the group ahead, who was making a front-nine move. While Charley, Lexi, and Nelly were stuck in the mud, I was treated to a Linn Grant show we haven't seen in quite some time. When she has it going, there really isn't anyone who's as locked in as Grant. It looks incredibly easy and automatic for her out there. She just has to find that version of herself for longer stretches.

Shot of the Day

Yealimi Noh, No. 14, Third Shot – Noh was all smiles after her chip shot on the par-5 14th slammed on the brakes just before it dropped into the hole for eagle.

‍This piece originally appeared in the Fried Egg Golf newsletter. Subscribe for free and receive golf news and insight every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.