US Women’s Open: Annika Sorenstam and Michelle Wie West bid farewell

Michelle Wie West and Annika Sorenstam stopped to hug as they walked up the 18th fairway at Pebble Beach on Friday and bid farewell to the US Women’s Open.

It was Bailey Tardy who led the way as she picked a good time and a beautiful location to play her best golf. 

The 26-year-old LPGA rookie made eagle on the par-five sixth hole for the second straight day as part of her torrid start, and she held steady the rest of the day for a 4-under 68 and a two-shot lead.

Tardy has made only four cuts and hasn’t finished in the top 20 her rookie season. Now she has the 36-hole lead at the biggest event in women’s golf. 

‘It was not as windy on my front nine as the back nine. Definitely took advantage of that,’ Tardy said. ‘Then just was able to hold on, I guess, through the wind.’

Michelle Wie West and Annika Sorenstam stopped to hug as they bid farewell to the US Open

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Tardy was at seven-under 137, one of only six players who remain under par going into the weekend, with even stronger wind in the forecast. Of those six, only Nasa Hataoka faced the flag-snapping wind of the afternoon. Hataoka shot 74.

Rose Zhang went from thankful to making the cut to still very much in the mix. She had a 71 in the morning, and by the end of a long day, her one-over 145 put her in a tie for 10th.

Most of the attention was on two players who had no chance of making the weekend.

Sorenstam, the 52-year-old Swede with 72 wins who retired in 2008, accepted an invitation because it’s the first US Women’s Open at Pebble Beach, the most iconic of US Open courses.

A three-time Women’s Open champion, she hit her final drive onto the rocks left of the 18th fairway and finished with a double bogey for a 79.

‘It’s a little bittersweet to finish that way but the memories are more than the shots,’ she said.

Wie West, a dynamic figure known as much for competing against men as a teenager as her Women’s Open title at Pinehurst No. 2, could only laugh as her 30-foot par putt dropped on the final hole. Neither of them made a birdie in two rounds.

Asked to describe her legacy, the 33-year-old Wie West said she hopes it was to inspire girls to make fearless decisions.

LPGA rookie Bailey Tardy holds a two-shot lead at the biggest event in women’s golf

‘If it feels right to do, go ahead and do it, and live out your wildest dreams,’ she said after a 79.

Tardy’s only professional victory was two years ago on the LPGA’s developmental tour. She is No. 455 in the world ranking. And she was not the least bit surprised when she walked off the 18th green leading Allisen Corpuz (70) and Hyo Joo Kim (71) by two shots.

‘I’ve always believed in myself to win any tournament that I enter,’ said Tardy, who played in college at Georgia. ‘I’m good enough to be here, and I’ve been on the LPGA, so I feel like I definitely have the game to hang with the best in the world.’

The best in the world have some work to do.

Rose Zhang went from thankful to making the cut to still very much in the mix on Friday

Second-ranked Nelly Korda shot 73 and made the cut with one shot to spare, leaving her 12 shots behind. Lydia Ko at No. 3 in the world was at 3-over 147 while playing one hole – the par-3 fifth – in 5-over par for two days.

Zhang was eight shots behind, but had only 10 players ahead of her with 36 holes to play.

‘I’ve been in this position before where you have to chase and it’s nothing new to me,’ she said. 

‘I’ll just be trying to do the same thing. Try to hit as many fairways and greens, because that will allow you to gain more birdie opportunities. That’s all I can do.’

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