Australia’s unheralded Sarah Jane Smith has put herself into a four-shot lead in the US Women’s Open giving herself a chance to win her first-ever LPGA Tour event and her first major.
Smith dominated a weather-interrupted second day at Shoal Creek in Alabama, leaping to a four-shot lead with a second, consecutive 67 to reach 10-under par.
Australians hold the top two spots on the leaderboard, with 22-year-old Melburnian Su Oh jumping up to second place at six-under, tied with Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand.
Smith started out in the early-morning with the lead and never let up, riding a hot putter all the way and enjoying a familiar set of old clubs that she put in the bag after missing five cuts in her previous six tournaments.
At one point she reached 11-under before settling for a 67 when she holed a tricky par-saver at the ninth hole, her last of the day. She had made six birdies for the day and one bogey, a three-putt at the eighth.
Ranked 97th in the world, she has drawn strength from Pernilla Lindberg’s major win – also her first tour win – earlier in the season. Smith has been a professional since 2004 and has won just twice – both secondary tour events in America.
“Well, I haven't been in the position before, I but I hope to show up like it's another day,’’ said Smith, who grew up in the Victorian provincial city of Geelong but who lives on the Sunshine Coast when she is at home.
“I'm happy with the way I'm playing. I feel comfortable on the greens which has been something that has been a little bit off lately. So it's nice to be able to feel like I'm seeing the greens really well and seeing some putts go in. Hopefully that keeps going.’’
Smith, 33, is a 14-year professional who won an Australian junior championship as Sarah Jane Kenyon before marrying Duane Smith, who acts as her caddie. “Duane is probably one of calmest people I know, and I don't get crazy out there,’’ she said. “I think between the two of us, we stay relatively calm generally.’’
The Queenslander had a bad start to this season but has worked her way up the rankings with consistent play over recent seasons. After her five missed cuts, she put an old set of Ping irons and hybrids, a TaylorMade driver and a Callaway three wood in her bag this week, and they have worked a treat.
At the Kingsmill Championship, where she missed the cut, she made contact with coach Sean Foley. “I sent him a text message on Sunday and I said, ‘I don't know what I'm doing. I'm playing well, and it's just not sort of coming together’. I said, ‘Is there a book or something I can read?’ He always has a good thing to say to keep you on track.
“He called me on Monday. And he's like, ‘there is no book, you idiot. Keep showing up, it's going to turn around’. He just kind of set me straight.’’
Oh’s performance, coming off a fourth-place last week, is equally-encouraging for a player in her second year on tour with huge expectations as a member of Golf Australia’s rookie squad. The Victorian carded a 68 to go with her opening 70.
Like Smith, she has never won on the world’s top tour, although she did win the Australian Ladies Masters as a teenager in 2015. “Probably see how I feel tomorrow, but I don't feel uncomfortable,’’ she said.
Of the other Australians, Minjee Lee is just outside the top 20 but the weather restricted her to just three holes of her second round.