Lee and Yin Share 36-Hole Lead; Korda Surges to Life at Riviera

The historic Riviera Country Club proved to be every bit as unforgiving as advertised during Friday’s second round of the 81st U.S. Women’s Open, but a crowded leaderboard is teasing an absolute blockbuster weekend in Southern California.

Local favorite Alison Lee and China’s Ruoning Yin emerged from the Friday grind tied for the lead at 4-under par, while World No. 1 Nelly Korda carded the round of the tournament to vault right back into championship contention.

The Co-Leaders: Local Hope and “Passive Aggressive” Precision

Ruoning Yin showed masterful patience to sign for her second consecutive 2-under 69. She was one of only two players to successfully navigate Riviera without a single bogey on Friday. Despite her stellar play, Yin offered a witty assessment of the centennial course, calling it “passive aggressive” while adding, “I love it. I always say that the more difficult the course, the better.”

Joining her at 4-under total (138) is Alison Lee, who fired a stellar 3-under 68. Playing practically in her own backyard, the Southern California native and new mother is hunting for her elusive first LPGA Tour victory on the grandest stage possible.

Nelly Korda Bounces Back with Round of the Day

After a frustrating opening-round 73 that left her seven shots off the pace, Nelly Korda looked like an entirely different player on Friday. Armed with a swing tip from her older sister, Jessica, Korda found her rhythm off the tee—hitting 11 of 14 fairways—and weaponized her approach game.

Korda fired a 4-under 67, the lowest score of the day, punctuated by five birdies. She skyrocketed up the leaderboard into a tie for 9th at 2-under par, sitting just two strokes back of the leaders.

“Definitely improved from yesterday, especially off the tee,” Korda remarked after her round. “Got a little bit of something going.”

The Chasing Pack

Riviera’s leaderboard is remarkably tight, with 13 players within three shots of the lead.

• Tied for 3rd (-3): First-round leader Jennifer Kupcho stumbled slightly with a 2-over 73 but remains firmly in the mix alongside Sei Young Kim, Mexico’s Gaby López, Chun In-gee, Hinako Shibuno, and You Hyo-ju.
• Low Amateurs (+1): 20-year-old Kiara Romero and 16-year-old phenom Aphrodite Deng both comfortably survived the cut and sit in a tie for 22nd heading into Saturday.

Heartbreak at the Cut Line

With the cut line falling at 4-over par (146), several marquee names saw their weekend plans canceled early:

• Lydia Ko (+5): The Grand Slam hopeful missed the cut by a single agonizing stroke after posting a 2-over 73.
• Madelene Sagström (+11): Playing while seven months pregnant, Sagström captured hearts on Friday by rolling in a stunning 30-foot birdie, but ultimately missed the weekend after struggling to a second-round 76.
• Michelle Wie West (+7): The LPGA legend, who unretired specifically to play Riviera, couldn’t find enough magic to bridge the gap but noted she had a blast grinding it out.

Moving into moving day, all eyes will be on whether Yin and Lee can maintain their composure, or if Korda’s momentum will carry her to the top.