Sarah Schmelzel and Minami Katsu Lead Walmart NW Arkansas Championship
Rogers, Arkansas – Sarah Schmelzel staged an impressive comeback on Friday, moving from the middle of the pack to a tie for the lead in just five holes. With a spectacular finish that included four consecutive birdies and an eagle, Schmelzel carded a 63, eight under par, tying Minami Katsu at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship. Alison Lee also had an outstanding performance, finishing with a birdie and an eagle, one stroke behind the leaders. This performance is especially significant for Lee, who is participating in her third tournament since giving birth to her son at the end of April. The Pinnacle Country Club course witnessed low scores, which generated some concern for Schmelzel. After a first half in 34 strokes and a total of two under par, it seemed like he wasn’t progressing. However, he was aware that he was approaching holes conducive to scoring, with short distances to the green and two par 5s.Schmelzel hit several precise approach shots and sank a long putt for birdie on the 17th hole. He culminated his performance with a second shot that left him in position for an eagle. After being two under par in the first 13 holes, he finished six under par in the last five. Katsu, for his part, distributed his eight birdies throughout a bogey-free round. The surprise was Alison Lee, who competed in the Solheim Cup while pregnant last year. Lee returned to competition this month, finishing in 53rd place at the Aramco Series event in Houston, and did not make the cut last week at the Kroger Queen City Championship. Lee wonders if starting on Friday, being one of the two 54-hole events scheduled on the LPGA, helped her prepare.You should have opportunities on all those holes because you have relatively short clubs.
Sarah Schmelzel
Getting a good score helped her get back on track, although Lee is aware that it was only one round in her return to the circuit as a mother. Her son accompanies her on the trip. Lilia Vu, Nasa Hataoka, Carlota Ciganda, Leona Maguire, and Somi Lee also shot 64. Nelly Korda, who has yet to win this season after a year with seven victories in 2024, did not take advantage of the good scoring conditions. She had 69 strokes and will start the second round closer to the cut line than the lead.I would say that in the last few weeks, coming back and playing, the strongest part of my game tends to be my approach shots, my irons. Normally I’m good at hitting my numbers. I felt that in the last few weeks that was my weakness. I couldn’t do it well.
Alison Lee
