Sarah Schmelzel and Japan’s Minami Katsu grabbed shares of the lead after one round of the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship on Friday in Rogers, Ark.
Katsu posted a bogey-free, 8-under-par 63 at Pinnacle Country Club. Schmelzel matched that number with a white-hot finish — four straight birdies at Nos. 14-17, then an eagle at the par-5 18th.
They’re one stroke ahead of six players tied at 7 under: Alison Lee, Lilia Vu, Spaniard Carlota Ciganda, Ireland’s Leona Maguire, Japan’s Nasa Hataoka and Somi Lee of South Korea.
Schmelzel, 31, is in ideal position to go after the first win of her LPGA career.
“This always plays kind of like a birdie-fest,” Schmelzel said. “You just got to make a bunch of birdies and stay super aggressive. And then with all the rain we got yesterday, it’s playing so soft, so within the first few holes you knew that girls were going to make tons of birdies just because you hit it and it stops right around the hole.
“So, yeah, I guess it changes mentality just knowing that you got to go out there and get it.”
She didn’t fully capitalize early on, making three birdies and one bogey on her front nine before a string of pars. Then she flipped the switch.
“You’re hoping you can finish that well,” Schmelzel said. “I told my caddie I think walking to the green on 14, ‘I need to start making some birdies or else I’m going to get lapped out here today.’ It was just a few good wedge shots and then I made a longer one on I guess it was 17; then just hit it really close on 18, which was nice to end that way.”
Katsu hit 12 of 13 fairways in regulation and carded four birdies on each nine.
“Overall, I think it was a perfect round,” Katsu said through a translator. “I was trying to aim for 100 percent on fairway keeping. Missed that on 18, so that’s a little disappointing. Felt like today was a really good round.”
Katsu has won eight times as a pro, but all of those came on the LPGA of Japan Tour.
Among the group tied for third, Vu stands out as a multiple major winner trying to salvage a poor season, with just one top-10 and five of 15 made cuts.
Vu hit every fairway in regulation and 17 of 18 greens on a bogey-free day.
“I haven’t had this position in a long, long time,” Vu said. “I feel like I’ve kind of gone down a different route in my golf game and trying to get body first.
“I was talking with my mental coach, and the only goal today was to try my best on the shot in front of me and not to get ahead of myself; I think I did that really well. Just gave it my all on each shot and turned out pretty nicely.”
Maguire, trying for her first LPGA win in two-plus years, boasts the same stat line as Vu: every fairway in regulation, 17 of 18 greens, seven birdies, no bogeys.
“Yeah, feel like my game has been in good shape for the past couple months,” Maguire said. “It’s nice to start off with a low one here. It’s sort of make a lot of birdies or get left behind.”
Stacy Lewis is in the mix after posting a 3-under 68 on Friday. Earlier this week, the 40-year-old announced she is retiring at season’s end.
“When I walked on that (first) tee, everybody kind (of) started cheering for me and going crazy,” Lewis said. “I had to go hide in the tent for a second. Just had to get the first hole over with. I was actually pretty nervous starting the day, which hadn’t been like that in a while here. Once I got off the first hole, I felt a lot more comfortable. It was a lot of fun.”
