SWEDE SETS AMATEUR MARK AT U.S. OPEN

Ingrid Lindblad decided months ago to stay in college instead of turning pro.

That might be a financial decision she comes to regret.

The 22-year-old Swede shot the lowest round by an amateur in the 77-year history of the U.S. Women’s Open, a 6-under 65 that left her a shot behind leader Mina Harigae on Thursday.

Because she’s an amateur, Lindblad wouldn’t be able to collect the record $1.8 million firstplace prize if she wins. She would have had to declare as a professional before the event began.

When asked if, in hindsight, that was a mistake, the LSU junior known to her friends as “Iggy” paused and said with a smile, “I’m going to stay in college for like another year or so.

“But when you say it, yeah it would have been fun to win a little bit of money,” she said.

She has a 54 holes to navigate, but Lindblad has a chance to become only the second amateur to win the U.S. Women’s Open. The other was Catherine Lacoste in 1967.

Lindblad needed only 26 putts in her round at Pine Needles in Southern Pines, N.C.

“She was fearless,” said Lindblad’s playing partner, Annika Sorenstam, Sweden’s most famous female golfer and a threetime U.S. Women’s Open winner.

Three-time major winner Anna Nordqvist, also from Sweden, and 2021 Evian Championship champion Minjee Lee of Australia were at 67 with American Ryann O’Toole.

Lexi Thompson, who lost a five-shot lead in the final round last year, was four shots back after a 68, tied with fellow American

Ally Ewing.

The 51-year-old Sorenstam, a 10-time major champion, was even par after her first 13 holes but finished with a 74 after qualifying for the event by winning the U.S. Women’s Senior Open last year. She won at Pine Needles in 1996.

Spring Valley teen Anna Davis had a rough first round, finishing at 10-over 81.

Young in Memorial lead group

In his first start since the PGA Championship, Cameron Young finished with two birdies over his last three holes for a 5-under 67 and the lead on rain-softened Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio.

Even with slightly softer greens, the 67 was the highest score to lead after the first round of the Memorial since 2004. And it was the second straight week on the PGA Tour of a big logjam at the top .

Joining Young were Luke List, Cameron Smith and K.H. Lee from the morning, and Mackenzie Hughes and Davis Riley each shot 67 in the afternoon.

DQ for Matsuyama

Former Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama was disqualified from the Memorial when officials determined he had too much paint on the face of his 3wood that he was using for alignment. It was the first time Matsuyama, who won the Memorial in 2014 for his first PGA Tour victory, had ever been disqualified on the PGA Tour.

Li leads Euro event

Li Haotong and Joakim Lagergren both shot 5-under 67 to share the lead after the first round of the European Open in Winsen, Germany.