The 78th US Women’s Open, in another first this week, moves to six hours of primetime coverage on NBC for the third round Saturday. With rookie Bailey Tardy holding a two-shot lead at seven under, here are seven storylines to follow at Pebble Beach:

How will the final pairing handle the pressure?

It’s a winless pairing anchoring the third round. Neither Tardy nor Allisen Corpuz have won yet on the LPGA Tour. Tardy, in her rookie season, has a best finish of T-23 in Hawaii back in April. Corpuz, at five under par going into the weekend, has limited experience with two top-fives in 2023.

She posted a T-3 in Singapore back in March and a T-4 at the Chevron Championship in April.

Allisen Corpuz putts on the seventh green during the second round of the 78th US Women’s Open. Ezra Shaw

“I honestly still need to get a little more comfortable, I think, in contention,” Corpuz said. “So that’s really been the focus this year, just really trying to put myself into that spot and then hopefully learn how to convert as it keeps happening.”

Tardy planned to spend time with her family, heading up the coast to Big Sur for a dinner before the 455th player in the Rolex Rankings starts the third round at 1:36 p.m. Pacific.

“This is a dream, being at the top of the leaderboard in a US Open,” Tardy said.

Can defending champion Minjee Lee make a run?

The Australian is one of 10 players sitting eight behind Bailey’s lead at T-11. With the experience of seven LPGA victories, including two major titles, Lee maintained perspective on her opportunity to move up the leaderboard Saturday.

“I feel like I’m probably in a pretty good position right now,” Lee said. “Just I can be maybe a little bit more aggressive and, you know, maybe put up a score earlier than the girls. Maybe it won’t be as windy. Then see where I am after that.”

If Lee can cut into Tardy’s lead, she could position herself to become the first player to defend a US Women’s Open title since countrywoman and Hall of Famer Karrie Webb did it in 2000 and 2001.

Will the top players continue their turnaround?

Even with a testing Friday setup, some of the tour’s best players turned their tournaments around. Nelly Korda and Lydia Ko followed their first-round four-over-par 76s with a 73 and 71, respectively.

“I think just played a little bit better, but that’s weird,” Ko said. “That’s golf.”

With more difficult conditions expected over the weekend, the Nos. 2 and 3 in the Rolex Rankings have momentum heading into Saturday to claw back into contention.

How will the wind impact play?

Pebble Beach is already playing a tough, averaging almost four over par. Another challenge will arrive over the weekend, with possible wind gusts of up to 25 mph. Temperatures aren’t supposed to get out of the low 60s.

“You’re going to have to wear your jacket this weekend,” USGA CEO Mike Whan said.

The USGA’s Shannon Rouillard, who sets up the course, pointed out that the 13th and 14th tees may need to move up. Those two holes, in particular, play straight into that wind.

Can an amateur climb up the leaderboard?

Amateur Ãine Donegan plays from the rough after taking a drop on the second hole during the second round of the 78th US Women’s Open. Harry How

An amateur has finished in the top 15 in the last six US Women’s Opens. Ingrid Lindblad won the low honours at Pine Needles in 2022 with a T-11 finish. Four amateurs made the cut at Pebble, with Ireland’s Aine Donegan leading at T-11 with a score of one over par. The LSU sophomore shot four-over 76 Friday.

“I’m pleased with how I finished,” Donegan said. “I finished with three pars and that was my goal, just try and get in with the same score, and luckily I did.”

The other three playing the weekend, Monet Chun, Benedetta Moresco and Amari Avery are all at T-26 and three over par.

Will Rose Zhang move into striking distance?

This week’s betting favourite sits eight strokes behind the leader at one over par. Zhang finished her morning wave one under 71. At that point, Zhang was T-22, aware of the weekend task ahead of her.

“I’ve been in this position before where you have to chase and it’s nothing new to me,” Zhang said after her round. “I’ll just be trying to do the same thing: Get my game plan and try to hit as many fairways and greens, because that will allow you to gain more birdie opportunities.”

Yet without taking a stroke, Zhang found herself finishing the day at T-11 when the afternoon wave fell back. There are now 10 players between Pebble’s women’s competitive course record-holder and the lead, a surmountable gap with another solid round.

Will the first seven holes be the easiest again?

As the wind picked up Friday, the front nine proved a more straightforward test for the field. Six of the easiest holes were from Nos. 1 through 7. The only one missing, the fifth, was the eighth easiest. The only two holes to play in red figures are the par 5s, the second (4.89) and the sixth (4.82).

Chasers must make hay at the start to chip away before hanging on through the difficult back nine to climb back into contention.

The post Bailey Tardy sets the pace, Rose Zhang in the hunt and 5 other things to watch for Saturday at the US Women’s Open appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Bailey Tardy nearly didn’t get into the US Women’s Open at Pebble Beach for one reason—procrastination. She almost didn’t sign up for the final qualifier, saying she had no interest in battling through 36 holes in one day. It took pushing from her mother to sign up.

“My mom would tell me you need to sign up, you need to sign up, you need to sign up, and then I just never did,” Tardy said. “That’s just kind of how it happened. Big ol’ procrastination.”

After grudgingly signing up, and then surviving a four-hole playoff at the qualifier, Tardy has put in an out-of-nowhere 69-68 performance to lead the second round of US Women’s Open at seven under par. She’s done so on the strength of making an eagle both days on the par-5 sixth hole.

To appease her mom’s wishes, Tardy, 26, searched for a qualifier in the spring. She settled on Somerset Country Club in Mendota Heights, Minn., where two players would advance. When Tardy bogeyed the 36th hole to finish with a four-under total, she figured she’d be one of the alternates and returned to her hotel room.

After packing, showering and changing, Tardy received word that fellow LPGA player Jennifer Chang three-putted the last hole to end up tied with Tardy, while a pregnant Amy Olson took the top spot at six under. Tardy scrambled to get back to Somerset for a playoff.

“I threw golf clothes back on, found my golf shoes, hit about 15 balls, and just went and played four more holes, which felt like an eternity,” Tardy said.

Solo leader Bailey Tardy put on a spin show at Pebble Beach. ? #USWomensOpen pic.twitter.com/Yts17kL3of

— U.S. Women's Open (USGA) (@uswomensopen) July 7, 2023

She prevailed over Chang by making a 20-foot birdie on the fourth playoff hole to get into her fourth US Women’s Open. Tardy played in 2014, 2016 and 2017, missed all three cuts and only shot one round under par.

Tardy has had a challenging rookie LPGA season, missing five cuts and withdrawing one week after shooting 85. The 455th player in the Rolex Women’s World Rankings has posted seven rounds of 75 or worse over the last two months. Her best finish is a T-24 at the Lotte Championship in April. It doesn’t exactly signal someone who would be at the top of a major leaderboard.

“Other people might not, but I’ve always believed in myself to win any tournament that I enter,” Tardy said. “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.”

Tardy is not only hanging with but has surpassed the best in the world on just two of Pebble’s most iconic holes. She is six under on the par-5 sixth and par-3 seventh combined, eagling No. 6 on Thursday and Friday. That’s half of the eagles recorded on the cliffside par 5.

Tardy has leaned on the knowledge she received from playing Pebble Beach for the first time last November before going to the LPGA’s Q-Series to earn her tour card for the first time.

Bailey Tardy made the most of Friday at the #USWomensOpen. ? pic.twitter.com/QGpMRHsXrb

— U.S. Women's Open (USGA) (@uswomensopen) July 7, 2023

Instead of imagining what could be after making the first major cut of her career, Tardy is soaking in the serenity of Pebble Beach. She said she pauses to smile at the dogs along the ninth and 10th holes and points out the sea life. Tardy said she will head to Big Sur with family for dinner, soaking in all she can of the Pacific coastline.

“This is a dream, being at the top of the leaderboard in a US Open,” Tardy said. “Just being able to take in all of this. I have got my family here, so just having them to keep my mind off of golf at night, it’s just fun. I’ve really enjoyed all of this.”

In regard to her performance this week, Tardy points to a putting overhaul last week. She put her putter in a three-day timeout after a missed cut at the KPMG Women’s PGA, frustrated with a first-round 36-putt effort that led to a three-over 75 despite hitting 14 greens.

She then did short game work with Gareth Raflewski. To get some better mojo, Tardy swapped putter covers, using a special Callaway putter cover from a Korn Ferry Tour event from Springfield, Ill. She chuckled while recalling the unique design, with the famed cartoon character Homer Simpson alongside his favourite food.

“I love doughnuts,” Tardy said.

No, she did not procrastinate with that answer.

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