Andy DevaneyThe Pinnacle LPGA is off to a roaring start, and the leaderboard looks like it’s had a few too many espressos. Sarah Schmelzel and Minami Katsu both torched Pinnacle Country Club with opening rounds of 63, strutting to the top of the pile at eight-under-par.
Schmelzel, who has been one of golf’s nearly women for far too long, finished her round in a style usually reserved for video games: birdie, birdie, birdie, birdie, eagle. “Yeah, I think on like — when you get to 14, 15, 17, and 18, you should at least have looks on all those because you have pretty short clubs in…
I told my caddie I think walking to the green on 14, I need to start making some birdies or else I’m going to get lapped out here today,” Schmelzel said. “It was just a few good wedge shots and then I made a longer one on I guess it was 17; then just hit it really close on 18, which was nice to end that way.”
For Katsu, the round was practically flawless—bogey-free with eight birdies, 12 of 13 fairways hit, and 16 of 18 greens in regulation. “Yeah, overall I think it was a perfect round. I was trying to aim for 100% on fairway keeping. Missed that on 18 so that’s a little disappointing. Felt like today was a really good round.” It was also her lowest score of the season, a timely reminder of why she’s one of Japan’s brightest golfing exports.
The chasing pack
There’s no shortage of firepower sitting one shot back at seven-under. Six players share third, including Carlota Ciganda, Alison Lee, Leona Maguire, Somi Lee, Lilia Vu, and Nasa Hataoka. Between them, they produced enough birdies to make the Pinnacle LPGA grounds crew wonder if they’d accidentally shortened the course overnight.
Ciganda, fresh from a bogey-free blitz, summed it up simply: “Yeah, very happy with the round. Seven birdies, no bogeys. I think when you have a bogey-free round it’s always very positive day. Yeah, played very solid overall. Hit lots of greens lots of birdie chances. Hit it pretty close. Made a couple good putts. Yeah, excited for tomorrow.”
Lee, who only just returned from maternity leave, was equally buoyant after a 64: “Yeah, it feels so good… Happy with my round. Yeah, I know we have two days left, but it’s such a good start for me and it’s a good feeling to see my hard work pay off and see it’s all been worth it.”
Maguire, who hit every fairway in sight, showed her consistency: “Yeah, feel like my game has been in good shape for the past couple months. It’s nice to start off with a low one here. It’s sort of make a lot of birdies or get left behind.”
Vu, another of the bogey-free bandits, found comfort in her process. “Yeah, it feels really good. I haven’t been had this position in a long, long time… Just gave it my all on each shot and turned out pretty nicely.”
Not everyone’s day
While the birdies flowed freely for most, defending champion Jasmine Suwannapura looked like she was playing a different golf course altogether, carding a 2-over with three bogeys and just a single birdie. Elsewhere, 20 players managed bogey-free rounds, and the withdrawal list already includes Ssu-Chia Cheng, Wichanee Meechai, and Mi Hyang Lee.
The bigger picture
For Schmelzel, currently ranked 61st in the world, this is only her second career 18-hole lead. She’s riding high after a solid season with three top-10s and over $800,000 in earnings, not to mention her part in the victorious 2024 Solheim Cup team. Katsu, ranked 54th, is still chasing her first LPGA Tour win but boasts eight JLPGA titles—including two majors—and has been on a tear since her runner-up finish at the AIG Women’s Open earlier this year.
And while the Pinnacle LPGA has seen scoring records tumble in the past—Lucy Li’s 60 in 2024 still hanging like a neon sign on the leaderboard—the opening salvos this week suggest we could be in for another record-breaking shootout.
One eye on history, the other on Stacy Lewis
Beyond the birdie bonanza, there was a touch of sentiment on the fairways. Stacy Lewis, playing in what feels like a farewell lap, admitted the nerves got her early: “It was actually — I had to catch myself a little bit. When I walked on that tee everybody kind started cheering for me and going crazy. I had to go hide in the tent for a second.”
Playing partner Nelly Korda, who finished at two-under, put it best: “Yeah, honestly ever since my rookie year she’s someone that has done so much for American women’s golf and women’s golf in general… But at the end of the day she’s someone that I looked up to. She’s such great role model. And I wish her all the best in her next chapter in her life.”
Day one verdict
The Pinnacle LPGA has already served up a buffet of birdies, bogey-free brilliance, and a leaderboard brimming with talent. With Schmelzel and Katsu blazing the trail at eight-under, and a half-dozen world-class contenders breathing down their necks, this tournament feels less like a marathon and more like a 100-metre sprint with golf clubs.
