True Friendship on Display at Historic Olympic Club

Talk about going above and beyond for a friend. Just days after competing in the Chevron Championship in Texas, world No. 3 Lydia Ko traveled straight to San Francisco to serve as caddie for fellow major champion Danielle Kang during U.S. Women’s Open qualifying at The Olympic Club.

Ko didn’t just carry the bag – she pushed it, using her own cart for the 36-hole marathon on the famed Lake Course. The gesture exemplifies the special friendship between two of the tour’s most respected players, who have previously teamed up at the LPGA’s Dow Championship.

“When you’ve been through the ups and downs of tour life together, you understand what each other is going through,” Ko said. “Sometimes just having a familiar face beside you can make all the difference.”

Challenging Times

Kang, 32, has faced significant struggles recently, with her world ranking dropping to 389th. Despite Ko’s support and encouragement, rounds of 74-73 weren’t enough to secure Kang a spot in this year’s championship at Wisconsin’s Erin Hills Golf Course. The disappointing finish means Kang will miss her first U.S. Women’s Open since 2009, ending a remarkable streak of appearances in the championship, where her best finish was fourth place in 2018.

Ko, meanwhile, is still hunting for the U.S. Women’s Open title that would move her closer to completing the career grand slam. The three-time major champion needs victories at both the U.S. Women’s Open and KPMG Women’s PGA to join the elite group of players who have conquered all of women’s golf’s major championships.

Youth Movement

While the major champions drew attention, it was the amateurs who dominated the qualifying at the historic venue, where only three players advanced. Junior Sarah Lim from Saratoga, California, shared medalist honors with SMU junior Emily Oden of Barbados, both finishing at 3-under 139. Oden’s qualification is particularly significant as she’ll become the first player from Barbados to compete in the championship, while Lim surged into contention with an impressive 67 in the second round.

The final automatic qualifying spot featured an all-Spanish, all-Stanford battle between teammates Paula Martin Sampedro and Andrea Revuelta. Martin Sampedro’s second-round 68 ultimately earned her the coveted final spot by a single stroke, with Revuelta designated as the site’s first alternate.

The U.S. Women’s Open will be contested May 28-June 1 at Erin Hills.