Sarah Schmelzel Ties for Lead with an Impressive Comeback at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship
Rogers, Ark. – Sarah Schmelzel staged an amazing comeback at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, going from the middle of the pack to leading the tournament in just five holes. With an impressive final stretch, which included four consecutive birdies and an eagle, Schmelzel turned in a card of 63 strokes, eight under par, tying Minami Katsu at the top of the leaderboard. Alison Lee also had a standout finish, with a birdie and an eagle, finishing just one stroke behind the leaders. This performance is especially significant for Lee, who is in her third tournament since returning to competition after giving birth to her son at the end of April. The day at Pinnacle Country Club was characterized by low scores, which initially worried Schmelzel. Despite a start of 34 strokes and being two under par, the golfer knew she was approaching holes with scoring opportunities, with short shots towards the green and two par 5s.Schmelzel managed to get several wedge shots close and sank a long putt for birdie on the 17th hole. He finished his performance with a second shot close enough to aim for eagle. Katsu, for his part, distributed his eight birdies throughout an impeccable round, without bogeys. The surprise of the day was Alison Lee, who participated in the Solheim Cup while pregnant last year. Her return to competition came earlier this month, where she tied for 53rd place at the Aramco Series event in Houston, and she didn’t make the cut last week at the Kroger Queen City Championship. Lee attributes his good performance to the possibility of having an extra day to prepare and practice shots, thanks to the start of the tournament on Friday.You should have opportunities on all those holes because you have pretty short clubs.
Sarah Schmelzel
Lilia Vu, Nasa Hataoka, Carlota Ciganda, Leona Maguire, and Somi Lee also achieved a score of 64. Nelly Korda, who has yet to achieve victories this season, despite her seven wins in 2024, couldn’t take advantage of the favorable conditions. Korda closed with 69 strokes and is closer to the cut line than to the top.I feel like this week, starting on Friday, I had an extra day to prepare and practice more shots, and I think that really helped.
Alison Lee
