Highlights: 2026 U.S. Women’s Open, Round 1
Watch first-round extended highlights from the U.S. Women's Open at The Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California.
Video Transcript
Just a few miles west of Hollywood, the stage is set for a long-awaited premiere, the U.S. Women's Open at Riviera Country Club.
And the opening round is well underway, with the LPGA's biggest and brightest star out on the course this morning in search of even greater glory.
Some of the action from earlier.
All eyes on Nelly Korda.
This for par at 18, her ninth.
Well, we mentioned she had some scrambling to do early in the day.
Made some putts of nice distance to keep herself at least in this championship.
Knew she would make that back return.
The layer, top layer came off.
Her third at the par five.
Yeah, and finally an opportunity to play a little bit of offense, was over this green in two, and then chipping back towards this hole location.
Really nicely done.
That would get her back to even at the time.
Now one over.
Gabby Lopez trying to get her championship off to a great start.
Probably not the leave she was looking for at the short 10th, but turns out great angle from that bunker and a brilliant shot.
Knew she would birdie that hole, then 11, 13, 15, and here, the second shot at the par 5, 17.
Well, Abby has a or Gabby has a ton of power, as we saw on the last hole, hitting just seven iron in there.
Well, it was after a great drive on 17 that she was able to put herself in position 244 yards to put herself on the green.
That would lead to a two-putt birdie, and Gabby Lopez was five under par.
Then at the par five, first, she's down there somewhere, her third.
Just enough to cover the lip, and a beautiful touch.
All right.
So Lopez would get it to six under.
She's now back at minus five.
One of golf's most famed and familiar courses and the greatest championship in women's golf meet this week for the first time.
Ally Ewing, her first event since the end of 2024, and what a place to come back and what a round she's had, Paige.
Yes.
And here at the 10th, this very narrow, small green.
Brilliant approach.
You're gonna see again the women- This an eight iron here.
She's only hit six greens so far.
We talked about the tee shots.
Only hit 50% of the fairways.
Good opportunity here, though.
Green sloping from right to left towards this hole location.
And that'll leave her below the hole.
Brilliant.
At the 15th, this is Yu, 21-year-old from KLPGA, going along well, and has set herself up for a birdie there.
Taiwan's Chia-yen Wu for birdie.
Plays on the Japan LPGA Tour.
Come on.
And that take- Taking it well left.
This ball's got to release.
It's there.
A+.
Great job.
It's just a hole that it's about precision, putting it in the correct position on the fairway and putting it in the correct position on this green, and that is textbook.
Able to get green side with that second shot.
Let's see if she can get up and down.
Really nicely done.
Yeah.
Woo.
Oh, that's- Very nice really good, isn't it?
She has got the wedge out on the green at the sixth.
Well, gets a little bit of help from that ridge.
How about this?
Really nicely done.
What a story this has been.
Ally Ewing, par-3 16th, first event back in a year and a half.
Oh.
I mean, it just keeps getting better.
She had a huge lead there on Saturday, led by as many as eight shots.
Had the lead coming into Sunday.
Oh.
That's a nice way to finish.
And Kupcho, you'd love four, four to start here, wouldn't you, Paige?
Yes.
And if you hit a good one at 133 yards, you might end up with four, three.
How about that?
Aphrodite Ding is out at the 12th, third hole of the day.
Stay in the short grass.
Kicked out on the green.
Okay, that worked out.
Off the bogey's tree.
All I could do was the other side.
At the first, Yani sends third.
It's gotta stop quick.
Come on.
Oh, Yani, look at that.
Turning back the clock.
Funny green to work with, actually.
You just never know quite how it's gonna come out of the rough.
But she gauged that- Yeah.
really nicely.
We've, we've seen a couple shots from that area.
Yeah.
Rita here at the 11th.
Oh, this looks very tasty.
West.
Down the breeze from 151 yards.
Excellent angle from the left side of the fairway over here.
The golf swing looks so good.
There's really only been the one swing.
The, the t- Paula Reto at 16.
Oh, she's gonna love that one.
Having made the turn.
Easy.
Yep.
Beautiful.
Is it gonna go?
Oh, it wasn't far away.
Just- Almost, absolutely tattooed.
Only 117 left into this 12th.
Oh.
And that leaves-Up to the 14th, another one of the famous par 3s here at Riviera, and this is Kalea Romero for birdie.
Really a wonderful story, her and her sister.
There's lots of slopes on this green that you can use as well to bring the ball towards the middle of the green.
This one's on a fade.
She missed that right of her target.
Where she was looking was a little bit underneath that.
And how about that bounce?
This is Ai Lim Kim, third at the 17th from the bunker.
Coming right at you.
And that is really good from Ai Lim Kim.
US Women's Open.
That was similar to what we saw earlier this year in her short game.
Has been wonderful, but no short game needed here.
Has a wonderful wedge game.
Yeah, good call there.
And right in.
That's a wonderful wedge game.
Much green to work with for her third.
Face wide open, going with the high flop shot.
Oh, goodness.
Second at 15.
Another young product out of Canada.
Teammate of Farrah Keats at University of Texas.
Good.
That was pretty special there, on her third US Women's Open.
Seems a pretty popular place to get up and down from right here.
But how about finish with a birdie?
Chen now away with her second at the 8th.
And another one coming in from the right-hand fairway on this par 4.
Great shot.
Have to imagine she was feeling some of those nerves to start the day, I mean- This to save par and put together a 4 over par opening round.
And she does.
That's a big finish.
That could be important.
