Amy Olson is alone in the driver's seat after 18 holes of the 75th US Women's Open. The amateur Pauline Roussin-Bouchard made the best French card (-1) is 12th in the provisional classification with 3 head shots.

US Women's Open: Amy Olson leader, Pauline Roussin-Bouchard 12th

Amy Olson - Photo: DR

A US Women's Open like no other kicked off this sunny Thursday at Champions Golf Club. In a two-course configuration - a first in the history of any USGA Open championship - with zero fans and on the unusual date of December, this 75th edition of the oldest major on the American Women's Tour took a decidedly different turn. .

Aside from these obvious differences, which include championship staff wearing masks due to COVID-19, a lot of things about the championship are similar. Everyone in this field of 156 players wants to hoist the magnificent silver trophy and receive the first Mickey Wright medal late Sunday afternoon, as well as the check for the million dollar victory.

Amy Olson finds herself alone at the top of the US Open after 18 holes, at the Champions GC in Houston, thanks in particular to a superb 8-iron shot from 141 meters on the green of 16 which makes hole in one and finishes with a very solid map rendering of 67 (-4).

Three golfers are behind at one length, two of whom are making their US Women's Open debuts. Rookies Hinako Shibuno of Japan, 2019 British Open Women's champion, and A Lim Kim of the Republic of Korea, were joined by Moriya Jutanugarn, the older sister of 2018 champion Ariya Jutanugarn. Shibuno played at Cypress Creek, while the latter two were on the Jackrabbit one par 71 course of 5973 yards. Despite their proximity, the two courses are very different. Cypress features wide fairways and large, complex greens. Jackrabbit is narrower with smaller greens.

There are seven double-barreled players, including Germany's Sophia Popov, who made the buzz of the year when she won the British Open AIG at the Royal Troon in August as the 304th player in the world. Also in this group is Sweden's Linn Grant, Grant and Popov both performed at Cypress Creek. The other players at -2 are Gerina Piller, Charley Hull, Linnea Strom, Patty Tavatanakit and Yuka Saso, a US Women's Open rookie who was semi-final in the 2016 US Women's Amateur and 2019 US Girls' Junior. All except Saso played Jackrabbit on Thursday

On the French side, a very good start also from Pauline Roussin-Bouchard who, on Cypress Creek, made a solid 70 (-1). The world n ° 3 amateur, at the height of her 20 years, is 12th in the standings with 3 headshots. Perrine Delacour is 37th at +1 on Cypress Creek, Céline Boutier is 55th at +2 on the Jack Rabbit. The two other French people present on this Cypress Creek, amateurs Lucie Malchirand, 17, and Agathe Laisné, 21, respectively have a score of +4 (89th) and +6 (124th). Note that the first two laps take place on both courses while Cypress Creek will host the last two laps of the weekend.

For Amy Olson, it has been a long and winding road since joining the LPGA. She looked set for quick success after a decorated amateur career at North Dakota State University, where she broke the NCAA record set by Juli Inkster with 20 college wins. She won the US Junior Amateur in her second appearance. And now, in his seventh season on the LPGA, Olson is still chasing his first win.

« Coming here, I expected to win very early. It has always been easy for me in college, ”said Amy Olson. “It's not easy to win here. You have to line up four very good days. And that's, I think, a test of my patience. ”

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US Women's Open: 5 French contenders, Sei Young Kim favorite