In a golf world obsessed with numbers, length of rough and width of fairways match importance with total yardage and scores under par. In 2015, the 70th USGA Women’s Open was held at Lancaster Country Club for the first time. In Gee Chun emerged from a tightly-bunched pack to win by one over Amy Yang. Chun’s eight-under par tally was just about right. The best golfer in the field ought to be able to go two strokes under par, per round, for the week.

We find ourselves back at Lancaster for the 2024 Open championship. Lancaster is 30 yards longer this time around, and eyes are drawn to the nearly-waist high rough that guards fairways and greens in certain areas. Lancaster 2.0 is a meaner golf course, and not a golfer in the field would turn down the offer of eight-under par on Sunday evening.

Thursday’s round snuck completion in under the wire. The low round was 68, and the high score was 20 strokes more. Well-known golfers struggled, while unknowns jumped into the spotlight. We’ve distilled all the information and the stories to five things that we learned on Thursday at the U.S. Women’s Open.

1. Yuka is back!

In 2021, hard-hitting Yuka Saso won this tournament in a playoff. She mastered the Olympic Club in San Francisco, and defeated Nasa Hataoka in a three-hole overtime session, 11 to 12. Despite her penchant for crushing long shots, Saso understands what it takes to play a U.S. Open course. At Lancaster, she forced five birdies onto her card, and limited her bogey tally to three. Her 2-under 68 is good for a one-shot advantage over professionals Andrea Lee and Wichanee Meechai, and French amateur Adela Cernousek. Saso made bogey at her final hole, else she would sit at 67 strokes through 18 holes.

Back on top ?@SasoYuka_315 leads the field at -3 pic.twitter.com/S1mTlpRYcW

— LPGA (@LPGA) May 30, 2024

2. Big numbers, they happen!

When we go out for weekend rounds, it’s important to remember that the physics of the golf swing are complicated. So much has to go right for so many, moving parts. And that’s when the golf course doesn’t conspire against you. And that’s also considering that weekend golfers don’t play practice rounds nor hit countless shots in preparation for the weekend.

You see, even our best professional golfers have zero immunity to rub of the green. On Thursday, the par-three 12th hole had a hole location cut on the edge of the abyss. Downhill from back to front, sloping toward the creek that guards the front of the putting surface, treachery loomed for those who went long. After the world-number-one and current golfer on a heater, Nelly Korda, struggled through the wee hole. Mel Reid broke down precisely how it happened and how it might happen again.

Mel Reid (@melreidgolf) breaks down the tough par 3 12th at Lancaster, where bogey or worse was a common result Thursday at the @USWomensOpen. ?

?: Golf Central Live From the #USWomensOpen pic.twitter.com/O1OCPmLapf

— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) May 31, 2024

3. Recent champs take different paths

We know how the 2021 champion fares: she leads! 2022 victor Minjee Lee isn’t far behind. The Australian matched five birdies with five bogeys, and sits two back of the leading score. Defending champion Allison Corpuz had a bit tougher time of it. She remained in the top half of the field, but just barely. The same 12th hole that bit Nelly Korda, got its hooks into Corpuz. A triple-bogey six at the wee monster undid all of her day’s good work. Corpuz signed for 75, and will need a pair of solid scores to work her way back into contention.

2022 @USWomensOpen champ Minjee Lee gets to even par with a birdie on the 2nd. ?

?: USA Network | #USWomensOpen pic.twitter.com/drw1WuaHtX

— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) May 30, 2024

4. Andrea Lee in tie for 2nd

One shot off the lead is 25-year old USA golfer Andrea Lee. The one-time winner on the LPGA found just the right blend of bravado and strategy, to outnumber bogeys with birdies. Unlike others in the field, Lee found the short 12th to her liking: she made birdie there to return to red figures. After bogey at the long 15th, Lee did another “thing” that others could not. She closed with birdie at the daunting 18th, to post 69 on the day.

Lee has a pair of top-twenty, U.S. Open finishes over the past two seasons. After one round, the difference between 20th and 1st is three shots, and the margin may not stretch much over the next three rounds. Is it too much to expect a top-ten finish from Lee this year? No, it’s not. U.S. Open-style players are a different breed, and if these are the type of course conditions where Lee feels comfortable, watch out.

Bold game on the big stage ?? @andrea_lee54 pic.twitter.com/1Br74DU4M0

— LPGA (@LPGA) May 31, 2024

5. What’s next?

There’s zero chance (essentially) of precipitation coming to Lancaster Country Club over the next 63 hours. Observers noted that the putting surfaces will dry and firm naturally, which means that slopes and edges will prove more daunting in their assessment. Pair that with challenging recovery options from the rough, and 279 might be a winning score on Sunday night. That’s just one shot under par over four rounds, but burly Lancaster and its William Flynn golf course demand such excellence, under these conditions. The stroke of fortune, for the golfers, will be the absence of wind. As if the competitors needed another obstacle this week! Fortune will favor the brave, the patient, and the wise this week. Prepare for high drama in eastern Pennsylvania.

The early clubhouse lead belongs to 12x @LPGA winner and major champion Sei Young Kim (E).

Live coverage continues now on @USANetwork. #USWomensOpen | @Ally pic.twitter.com/yrONCmzKM4

— U.S. Women’s Open (@uswomensopen) May 30, 2024

Featured image via the USGA