Staff WriterLeah John didn’t so much open her week as kick the door off its hinges, and the message landed quickly: the player to beat has arrived. Leah John fired an eight-under 64 on the Crossings Course—her kind of ruthless, disciplined golf—laying down a marker that everyone else will spend tomorrow chasing.
John’s round was the sort that makes the rest of the field check their yardage books twice. She opened with a birdie on No. 10, stitched together back-to-back birdies on 13 and 14, and even her lone bogey at 15 was more of a brief pause than an interruption. She wiped it away immediately with a birdie at 16, then rattled off three straight on holes 1, 2, and 3, before signing off with a flourish at 8 and 9. Nine birdies, one bogey, and a strut back to scoring that suggested she knew exactly what she’d done.
Since joining the Epson Tour in 2024, John has quietly built the sort of résumé that rarely stays quiet for long—four career top-10s, more than $82,000 in official earnings, and now a season that already includes a win at the Four Winds Invitational and a low round of 63. She made 12 cuts in 20 starts this year, finished No. 22 in the Race for the Card standings, and today looked every bit like someone ready to climb further.
Briem in the Rear-View Mirror
Helen Briem played the role of shadow pursuer with a sharp, bogey-free 65, settling into solo second. She picked up seven birdies on the Crossings Course, including neat pairs on 4–5 and 9–10, turning in a smooth four-under 32 on the front side.
Briem turned professional only last season, but she’s already made herself at home on the Ladies European Tour. In 2025 alone she’s racked up three runner-up finishes, closed the year ninth on the Order of Merit, and still carries the glow of her 2024 La Sella Open win. Her ceiling is obvious—and today she showed she’s not intimidated by the company she’s keeping.
Du Steadies Herself Into Third
If you’re searching for the day’s most clinical card, look at Mohan Du, who posted a bogey-free 66 and walked off feeling every bit as composed as her score suggests.
“Yes, first of all, I’m very happy with my finish, and my whole day, my game was really solid. I hit lots of fairways, I hit eighteen greens, and then just followed all the game plans. So I’m very proud of myself.”
Du’s form this season has been steady—nine cuts in 16 starts, two top-10s, and a personal best of 65—but today she looked more polished than at any point in her 2025 campaign. She stacked birdies on 11–12 and again on 1–2, rarely putting a foot wrong.
The Crowd at Five Under
Three players—Jing Yan, Dongeun Lee, and Yuna Nishimura—share fourth at five under, each taking a different route to the same destination.
Jing Yan posted her 67 with six birdies and a single blemish, and continues to settle into her LPGA rhythm this season. With seven cuts in 11 starts, more than $182,000 in earnings, and six career top-10s, she’s always lurking with intent.
Dongeun Lee produced her own 67 on the Crossings Course, rolling in six birdies and playing her early stretch of holes 3–7 like she owned them. The reigning DB Group Korean Women’s Open champion already has seven top-5 finishes this season and has made 25 cuts in 30 KLPGA starts. Her confidence is hard to miss.
Yuna Nishimura played the Falls Course and matched the number with a dynamic card featuring seven birdies, two bogeys and a sizzling five-under 30 on the back nine. Six wins on the JLPGA between 2020–22 and steady LPGA form suggest she’s nowhere near done.
Records on the Horizon
This tournament has not been shy about its low scoring in recent years. Since 2021, the 18-hole record has dipped to 62 on multiple occasions—Aline Krauter, Yu Liu, Chisato Iwai, and Ina Yoon all share the honour. The Falls Course and Crossings Course have both seen it happen. With scoring already trending red, it doesn’t feel out of reach again this week.
What’s at Stake
A finish inside the top 25 (and ties) earns LPGA status in Category 15—a life-changing upgrade for anyone with ambitions of joining the big league. Everyone else who sticks around for four rounds earns Epson Tour status in Category C, which isn’t nothing, but it’s not the golden ticket.
When the prize is that big, movement always gets tense over the weekend.
More Voices From the Round
Mirabel Ting shook off the jitters quickly after an early stumble: “I was a little bit nervous on the first tee and definitely on the second hole. Made some mistakes on the second, and you know, had four birdies in a row after that. I was much more comfortable.”
And Kim Kaufman, ever the straight shooter, summed up her day like someone who’s learned to keep her head screwed on tight:
“I was saying I really am pretty at ease. You know, I had a really good, I feel like, mental game plan at the second stage, where I just was out there really, really trying to just hit a good golf shot. Really stay in the present and not focus on the score or even where it ends up, which is a lot harder said than done. But I did it well second stage, that’s kind of the same thing I’m doing here, and you know, I really did well most of the day. I just want to hit some solid shots.”
And So We Go to Round Two
Leah John may have taken the early spotlight, but daylight leads don’t stay comfortable for long in a field this stacked. Tomorrow, the Crossings and Falls will tighten their arms around the leaderboard and show us who’s ready to run with her—and who’s happy just keeping pace.
If today is any indication, nobody’s planning on backing down.
