| -4 M Reid (Eng), M Ganne (US); -3 A Yin (US), B Henderson (Can), M Khang (US); -2 Y Saso (Phi), L Thompson (US), S Feng (Chi) |
| Selected others: -1 J Young Ko (Kor), Level I Park (Kor); +4 C Hull (Eng), P Tavatanakit (Tha); +5 S Meadow (NI); +6 G Hall (Eng), J Ewart Shadoff (Eng); +8 A-Lim Kim (Kor) |
| Full leaderboard |
England’s Mel Reid shot a 67 to share the first-round lead on four under with 17-year-old American Megha Ganne at the US Women’s Open.
Reid picked up three shots around the turn and added further birdies at 15 and 16 at The Olympic Club in San Francisco before a bogey at the 18th.
“I didn’t think that score was out there,” said the 33-year-old.
Ganne, who is playing in her second US Open, had held the lead until she also bogeyed the 18th.
The New Jersey high school student failed to make the cut in her debut in the competition as a 15-year-old in 2019 at Charleston, South Carolina but said she is much more comfortable this time around.
“I think the first time is nerve-racking for anybody and meeting your idols and being on the stage for the first time,” she admitted.
“But the second time around, even the practice rounds, I wasn’t as nervous. I felt like I could come here and just play my game instead of soaking that all in. It’s definitely a little bit easier this time.”
The pair are one shot ahead of America’s Megan Khang and Angel Yin and Canada’s Brooke Henderson with Lexi Thompson, China’s Shanshan Feng and Yuka Saso of the Philippines a further shot back on two under.
World number one Jin Young Ko of South Korea is one of seven players on one under.
Reid, whose only LPGA Tour win came at last October’s ShopRite LPGA Classic, has had little previous success at the tournament, missing the cut in four of her previous five appearances and finishing tied 50th in 2012.
“I had a pretty good game plan,” she added. “It’s probably the best I’ve had for a tournament. We had a game plan and stuck to it.
“If you’re in trouble, just get it out, make bogey. I think the key here is to not take many risks the first two, three days, and I didn’t do that.”
