PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (AP) — Bailey Tardy picked a good time and a beautiful location to play her best golf.
Tardy made eagle on the par-5 sixth hole at Pebble Beach for the second straight day as part of a torrid start to her second round Friday in the U.S. Women's Open, and she held steady the rest of the way for a 4-under 68 and a one-shot lead among the early starters.
She fit the profile of a 36-hole leader at a historic Women's Open in which the stars have been nearly as absent as the sun behind a constant marine layer over the Monterey Peninsula.
Tardy is a 26-year-old rookie on the LPGA Tour who has made only four cuts this year, her best finish a tie for 23rd in Hawaii. Her only professional victory was two years ago on the LPGA's developmental tour. She is No. 455 in the women's world ranking.
And she was not the least bit surprised when she walked off the 18th green at 7-under 137, 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, already considered among the elite from her astonishing amateur record while at Stanford and from winning her first LPGA Tour start as a pro, at least kept herself in the game. After a rocky start with a pair of sloppy bogeys, Zhang converted a pair of key birdie putts around the turn and had a 71 to easily made the cut.
Jin Young Ko, the No. 1 player in the world, Nelly Korda and Lexi Thompson played in the afternoon and were making strides toward at least staying in the game. Ko was coming off a 79, her worst score by four shots in a U.S. Open. Korda, No. 2 in the world, opened with a 76.
Tardy has been a bit of a hard-luck case getting to the LPGA Tour, once missing out on a card by $343 on what is now the Epson Tour and twice more having close calls.
The belief never wavered, especially as far as she hits it. Her approach up the steep hill to the sixth green settled 4 feet away — she holed a 15-foot eagle putt on Thursday.
“I feel like I’ve had really good ball-striking days and then terrible putting days, and then I’ll have a great putting day but terrible ball-striking day,” Tardy said. “So it’s finally coming together and meshing well, and it just happens at the right time.”
What almost cost her was the simple act of qualifying. She nearly forgot to enter, and was so late there were only two qualifying sites available. Tardy chose Minnesota, bogeyed her last hole and had showered and changed clothes for her flight home when another player made bogey that let her into a playoff.
She played Pebble Beach last year for fun — who wouldn't? — and certainly knows the secret to scoring on days like these when the wind is more of a rumor. It began to pick up in the middle of her round, but she took advantage on the opening seven holes. That's where to score.
She had four birdies along with her eagle, dropped her only shot from a bunker in front of the par-3 fifth green and even missed a 6-foot birdie attempt at No. 8. Her only mistake on the back nine was a long three-putt on the par-5 14th.
Leona Maguire of Ireland was primed to join her. She birdied her last two holes on the back nine for a 34 and had the easier front nine to play. Instead, Maguire bogeyed four of the next five holes by missing the greens, and she capped off a forgettable finish with a three-putt from 25 feet for a 40.
She was six shots behind at 143, but with a shrinking list of players in front of her. Maguire was still in the mix, along with so many others.
“Under par around here you always know you’re going to be in good shape,” she said. “Just made a few bad swings and kind of cost me, that early stretch on the front nine.”
Zhang felt more comfortable with a northwest wind that is typical at Pebble Beach. The goal remained keeping it in the short grass, and she got her putter to behave for three birdies and some key par saves.
“Really grateful that I was able to make the cut, and I’ll be able to kind of steady myself and go into the weekend with a fresh mind,” she said. “I’ve been in this position before where you have to chase and it’s nothing new to me. 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.”
Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., finished the round being nine shots back of the lead after a 75. Meanwhile, fellow Canadian Monet Chun (73) is one behind Henderson going into weekend play.
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Doug Ferguson, The Associated Press