By Kent Paisley
It only takes one strong start. It’s an adage that rings true throughout the LPGA Tour’s history. During Karen Stupples’ rookie year in 1999, the Englishwoman battled to keep her tour card. Making five cuts through her first 10 starts and never earning more than $4,000, Stupples broke through for her first top-10 that September at the LPGA State Farm Classic for a T-8, paying her $19,304.

“I felt like I had won the lottery,” said Stupples, an eventual major winner who is now an NBC and Golf Channel commentator. “Literally, I felt like I was the richest person alive because I had never seen that kind of money going into my bank account ever.”

For players this week at Pine Needles who qualified their way into the 77th US. Women’s Open, instead of playing in the $750,000 purse that Stupples broke through for in Springfield, it’s a historic $10 million up for grabs, a prize money payout that rose $4.5 million from 2021 and can reset a player’s season in 72 holes. Particularly for players who arrive in North Carolina like Stupples before them, searching for a spark.

Bianca Pagdanganan’s qualifying journey felt like winning a lottery all on its own. On top of managing significant internal pressure to qualify for the US Women’s Open for the first time, (her 2020 appearance as an LPGA rookie was aided by special exemptions surrounding the shortened COVID season), the Filipina has battled tendonitis in her right wrist since March. After missing the cut at Rancho Palos Verdes just five days before her May 4 qualifier at Fox Run Golf Club, she met with a physio and doctor. They told her to rest as much as possible. Pagdanganan didn’t touch a club until taking her first swing at the start of her qualifier’s practice round four days later.

Impressively, Pagdanganan sat at five-under through 35 holes. She missed a four-footer for par on her 36th that she knew she needed to avoid a playoff. Pagdanganan then squared off in a five-for-three playoff featuring fellow LPGA pros Muni He, Jaye Marie Green, Morgane Metraux and Dottie Ardina. Pagdanganan made a long par putt to stay alive on the first extra hole. After birdieing the second hole, she had her ticket to Pine Needles.

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“It’s the US Open. It’s everyone’s dream to play the US Open, and that’s exactly what I’m doing right now,” she said on the eve of the championship. “I just have to tell myself to enjoy this process and the whole experience. I’ll try to keep it in mind for the rest of the week. That way, it hopefully helps me play better and lessens the pressure for the other events.”

It gives her another opportunity for a top-10 finish at a major, as Pagdanganan broke on to the national scene with a T-8 at the 2020 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Not only did it give her more starts at other majors, it’s been a confidence booster.

“When I struggle mentally,” Pagdanganan said, “it’s a good reminder that you can play in any condition, you can play great golf, and you’re capable of doing great things. That kind of helps me get through.”

Daniela Darquea fought similar mental demons to get to Pine Needles. After finishing 152nd on the CME points list in 2021, she had to go back to Stage II of LPGA qualifying to better her status. The 2017 rookie didn’t advance to Q-Series and got buried on the LPGA’s priority list, sitting at 386th. Darquea has spent this season playing on the Epson Tour and chasing LPGA Monday qualifiers. She hadn’t made it through any yet, and the streak seemed likely to continue through the first round of her US Women’s Open qualifier.

Darquea shot three-over par at the Ohio State University Golf Club. Before beginning her final round, Darquea turned to her cousin, Felipe Darquea, a junior on the Ohio University’s men’s golf team who caddied for her. He told her she needed to shoot six-under in the second round to breakthrough.

Darquea nearly Bambino’d it, as she posted five-under to charge into the final of three spots for Pine Needles by two strokes for an opportunity to turn her year around.

While the money is of course considerable for those at the US Women’s Open, for players like Pagdanganan and Darquea, it’s the CEM points that can improve their LPGA status or even help secure a LPGA card for 2023, that makes this week important.

Daniela Darquea hasn’t got into an LPGA event this season. A good finish at Pine Needles can change that. Sam Greenwood

“It would mean a lot more to make the second reshuffle and get on to the LPGA,” Darquea said, “That’s my goal, hopefully for the week, and then for the year, hopefully get back out there.

“This is my only chance, pretty much.”

She’s hoping to replicate the magic as her cousin caddies for her again this week.

Lauren Kim also went through LPGA qualifying last year after finishing 123rd in CME points and improved her status through Q-Series. That momentum didn’t carry over into 2022. Through six starts this season, the Stanford graduate hasn’t made a cut.

The 27-year-old walked on to Pine Needles feeling the same wonder for her first US Women’s Open start as she did making her USGA debut at the 2014 US Women’s Amateur. She hopes focusing on that feeling will put her in a good mindset into the week.

“I’m trying to enjoy every second of it. I’m not too worried. Golf is golf, it’s up and down and sometimes it’s not what you want it to be. And that’s OK. Just trying to take it one step at a time.”

Those moments include her mom buying them both US Women’s Open bucket hats to take home.

Lauren Kim hasn’t made a cut yet in 2022, but a big week at Pine Needles can boost her chances keeping her card. Michael Cohen

Even if Kim’s missed cut streak continues, she’ll still take home a pay cheque. Kim lit up when told for the first time that those who miss the cut will still receive $8,000.

“Wow, that’s huge,” Kim said, “Obviously, this year has been a big financial burden on me, just missing cuts. You’re spending more and not making it back. I think that’s really cool. It frees up the mind, frees up the swing for those who worry about that. I’m fortunate to have amazing sponsors. Not all girls have that.”

This week could give the birthday gift of financial security to Isi Gabsa, who turns 27 the Tuesday following the US Women’s Open. Since turning professional, Isi Gabsa’s thought about getting into the marquee major with her birthday, June 7, consistently being around the end of the US Women’s Open.

She’s on the precipice of breaking into the top 100 in CME points, as the German sits in 103rd coming into the week. However, Gabsa noted it’s still early in the season to focus on making that move now. Despite it almost being June, 22 tournaments and four majors remain on the schedule. Gabsa appreciates the validation of being in such a strong field for the first time and how just one strong week with this historic purse can support her career.

“You would never say no to that much money,” Gabsa said. “It would definitely ease a lot of things with traveling costs for a couple of years to come. That would be very nice to have for sure.”

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Lee-Anne Pace has a surname tailor made for the top of golf leaderboards, not to mention easy/cheesy headlines. She’s also a pace-setter with a game that ensures her full name regularly gets engraved on important trophies.

The 36-year-old South African set a cracking early mark at the Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open Wednesday with an opening six-under 66 at Saadiyat Beach G.C.

She’ll take a one stroke advantage into Thursday over six players – Jenny Haglund (Sweden), Marianne Skarpnord (Norway), Amy Boulden (Wales), Isa Gabsa (Germany), Aditi Ashok (India) and Florentyna Parker (England) – after a red number day in Abu Dhabi where 55 players bettered par.

Pace, who mainly plys her trade on the LPGA Tour in the United States, is playing the FBMLO for the first time but remains one of the Ladies European Tour’s marquee stars.

Her breakout year in 2010 was nothing short of sensational – five wins, the order-of-merit title and Players’ Player-of-the-Year honours courtesy of 92 percent of the vote. She’s added four more LET titles since, the last in 2014 at her home South Africa Open, the same year she captured her thus far sole LPGA title at the LPGA Blue Bay in China.

The world No.97 started the 2017 LPGA season with a bang with a fourth placing at February’s Honda LPGA Thailand and backed it up with another top 10 and three more top 20s in her next four starts. Her form dipped thereafter – she finished 88th in the CME Globe Rankings – but has come good in her last two LET starts with a share of second in Spain in September and a T-16 at the Lacoste Ladies Open de France last month.

She rode a hot putter Wednesday at Gary Player’s ocean-front layout, a course she sees as ripe for the picking.

“It’s the first time that I’ve played here and the par fives are definitely reachable. I messed one up, the 15^th, where I went into the water, but I managed a par there,” said Pace who mixed seven birdies (two of them on par 5s) against a lone bogey on the tough 16th.

“It wasn’t perfect but I did make a lot of putts and seven birdies is quite nice. I played nicely, hit 14 greens and made quite a few putts for par saves, so the putter was working.”

Parker looked set to join Pace atop the leaderboard but the Solheim Cupper bogeyed the 18th to settle for a 67. It was a top start too for 24-year-old Haglund, the current Rookie-of-the Year leader and Ashok who won that honour last year while Boulden will be buoyed by the fast start after the frustration of failing to advance from the second stage of LPGA Tour Q-School in Florida last month.

Cheyenne Woods is poised just three shots back after a 69, alongside Georgia Hall who is third on the LET money list but in pole position to win the OOM title as leader Anna Nordqvist and second-placed In-Kyung Kim have not played the requisite five events to qualify. Kim, the reigning Women’s British Open champion, is scheduled to play the season ending Omega Dubai Ladies Classic but that will only bring her up to four events.

Hall hinted at a fast start with Boulden and friends at Yas Marina on the eve of the tournament. Check out the great LET promo – and some priceless expressions – here:

American Beth Allen opened her title defence with a one over 73 which included a topsy-turvy double bogey, bogey, par, chip-in birdie finish while new European Solheim Cup captain Catrions Matthew signed for a one-under 71 and Dame Laura Davies an even par 72. Even par is already to the projected cut line.

Solheim Cup rookie Mel Reid withdrew from the tournament with a back injury after opening with a 77.

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