Dame Lydia Ko fades with opening round of 74 in US Women’s Open, Ryan Fox starts strongly on PGA Tour

Friday, 5 June 2026

Lydia Ko putts at the US Women's Open in Los Angeles.

Dame Lydia Ko went from eyeballing the leaders to in danger of missing the cut after a rollercoaster opening day of her 15th US Women’s Open in Los Angeles on Friday (NZT).

The world No 10 from New Zealand signed for a first round of three-over 74 at Riviera Country Club, eight shots off the pace set by Jennifer Kupcho of the United States.

Ko arrived with four top-10 finishes from nine LPGA Tour events this year, and potential to overtake the great Annika Sorenstam’s career earnings record of US$22.58 million (NZ$38.45m) if she could finish top-three this weekend.

That now looks a daunting task after Ko moved to one-under with her first birdie on 11, then double-bogeyed the next hole. Two more bogeys followed on 15 and 18 as she slipped to a tie for 87th, outside the top-half of the 156-strong field heading into the second round.

Ko’s best finish at a US Women’s Open was a tie for third in 2016. That and the PGA Championship which tees off later this month are the two women’s majors still to elude the 23-time winner on the LPGA Tour.

Kupcho leads Sei Young Kim of South Korea by one shot heading into round two early on Saturday (NZT).

Meanwhile on the PGA Tour in Columbus, Ohio, Kiwi Ryan Fox started strongly to be in a tie for eighth after the opening round of the Memorial Tournament.

The world No 58 carded a two-under 70 and was one of just 22 golfers to break par in the first round at Muirfield Village.

Fox had four birdies and two bogeys and was three shots off a four-way tie for the lead made up of American trio Wyndham Clark, JJ Spaun and Ryan Gerard, and England’s Tommy Fleetwood.