Lindblad 始める，決めるs U.S. Women's Open amateur 示す with 6-under 65

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SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. (AP) - Ingrid Lindblad decided months ago that she 手配中の，お尋ね者 to stay in college instead of turning professional.

That might be a 財政上の 決定／判定勝ち（する） she comes to 悔いる.

The 22-year-old Swede 発射 the lowest 一連の会議、交渉／完成する by an amateur in the 77-year history of the U.S. Women´s Open, a 6-under 65 that left her a 発射 behind first-一連の会議、交渉／完成する leader Mina Harigae on Thursday.

Because she´s an amateur, Lindblad wouldn´t be able to collect the 記録，記録的な／記録する $1.8 million first-place prize if she 勝利，勝つs. She would have had to 宣言する as a professional before the tournament began.

When asked if, in hindsight, that was a mistake, the LSU junior known to her friends as "Iggy" paused and said with a smile, "I´m going to stay in college for like another year or so.

"But when you say it, yeah ... it would have been fun to 勝利，勝つ a little bit of money," she said.

She has a 54 穴を開けるs to navigate, but Lindblad has a chance to become only the second amateur to 勝利，勝つ the U.S. Women's Open. The other was Catherine Lacoste in 1967.

Lindblad didn´t seem 圧倒するd at the 適切な時期.

"Yeah, it´s possible," she said.

Three amateurs had 以前 発射 66 - Carol Semple Thompson in 1994, Brittany Lincicome in 2004 and Gina Kim in 2019.

Lindblad tied for 30th at 6-over 292 in her only other U.S. Women´s Open 外見 in 2020.

She 始める，決める the トン for a strong 開始 一連の会議、交渉／完成する in Southern Pines by winning the Southeastern 会議／協議会 individual 選手権 in April after making a 38-foot eagle putt on the 18th 穴を開ける. She showed some of that same prowess on Thursday, needing only 26 putts.

"She was fearless," said Lindblad´s playing partner, Annika Sorenstam, Sweden´s most famous 女性（の） golfer and a three-time U.S. Women´s Open 支持する／優勝者.

Lindblad will have to 競う with what is 形態／調整ing up to be a strong leaderboard.

Three-time major 勝利者 Anna Nordqvist, also from Sweden, and 2021 Evian 選手権 支持する／優勝者 Minjee 物陰／風下 of Australia were at 67 with American Ryann O´道具.

Lexi Thompson, who 降伏するd a five-発射 lead in the final 一連の会議、交渉／完成する of last year in the event and lost by a 一打／打撃, was four 発射s 支援する after an 開始 一連の会議、交渉／完成する 68. Fellow American 同盟（する） Ewing also 発射 68.

"As far as last year, it´s over with, it´s this year," Thompson said. "I took it, I learned from it, and I moved on."

South Korea´s Jin Young Ko, the world´s 最高の，を越す-階級d player and one of the most 一貫した ball-strikers in the tournament, 発射 a 69 - hitting 13 of 14 greens in 規則.

"I was just trying to get the middle of the green every 発射, every 穴を開ける," Ko said. "It´s dif ficult because the green looks wider but the 上陸 area is smaller."

Nelly Korda looked strong in her return from 外科 and appears ready to 競う, 同様に.

Outside of a 二塁打 bogey at the par-4 11th, the world's No. 2-階級d player played a 公正に／かなり flawless 一連の会議、交渉／完成する in her first 競争の激しい tournament since Feb. 25 after developing a 血 clot in her arm. She 発射 70.

"I definitely had a lot of adrenaline on that first 穴を開ける. I think I 麻薬を吸うd my driver so far," Korda said. "I like 肉親，親類d of felt sick how much adrenaline I was feeling, and then 静めるd myself 負かす／撃墜する and played pretty 井戸／弁護士席. Just had one unfortunate lost ball on I think 11, but other than that I played pretty solid."

Lydia Ko 発射 72.

Michelle Wie West finished with a 73 in what is 推定する／予想するd to be her second-to-last major before retiring.

Defending 支持する／優勝者 Yuka Saso from Japan struggled, 狙撃 77.

The 51-year-old Sorenstam, a 10-time major 支持する／優勝者, was even par after her first 13 穴を開けるs but finished with a 74 after qualifying for the event by winning the U.S. Women's 上級の Open last year. She said she no longer gets mad at herself when things don't go 井戸／弁護士席 and is 簡単に trying to enjoy the tournament with her family. She won at Pine Needles in 1996.

Harigae has 19 career 最高の，を越す 10s on the LPGA 小旅行する but this is the first time she's led a tournament.

She 発射 30 on the 前線 nine and 殺到するd ahead of Lindblad with birdie on the par-3 16th 穴を開ける on a heat-drenched afternoon that drove some 観客s to the 出口s 早期に.

Harigae, who played one year at Duke before turning プロの／賛成の, said she was thrilled to be 支援する in North Carolina, joking that she drew inspiration from six-time NBA 支持する／優勝者 Michael Jordan, who played for the Tar Heels.

"明白に, 存在 a big Jordan fan, so just 肉親，親類d of like going off the Jordan vibes," Harigae said. "Must be the shoes, 権利?"

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