SPITZ LEADS AT HALFWAY STAGE OF U.S. WOMEN’S OPEN QUALIFIER

Austria’s Emma Spitz fired a round of 69 (-3) to lead the U.S. Women’s Open Qualifying at Naxhelet Golf Club after 18 holes.

The 78^th U.S. Women’s Open Championship will be held from July 6-9 at Pebble Beach for the first time with three qualification spots up for grabs in Belgium.

The LET rookie began her day on the 10^th tee and got off to a good start making a birdie on 13 followed by an eagle on 14.

Despite back-to-back bogeys on 18 and the first hole, Spitz rolled in back-to-back birdies on five and six to seal a round of three-under-par and put her at the top of the leaderboard.

Spain’s Laura Gomez Ruiz and England’s Gabriella Cowley sit in a share of second place on two-under-par.

The Spaniard didn’t get off to the best of starts with three bogeys in her first seven holes, but she then found an excellent run of form.

Gomez Ruiz made back-to-back birdies on eight and nine before rolling in four consecutively on holes 11 through to 14 and despite a dropped shot on the last, she finished with a score of 70 (-2).

While Cowley opened with a birdie on the 11^th before making a double bogey on the 18^th, however she soon turned it around with three birdies in her final four holes to also seal a round of two-under-par.

Four players sit in a tie for fourth place with England’s Alice Hewson, Scotland’s Kylie Henry, Northern Ireland’s Olivia Mehaffey and France’s Agathe Sauzon all on one-under-par.

Nine players are one shot further back on level par after 18 holes including 2023 Belgian Ladies Open champion Patricia Isabel Schmidt.