PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. | After opening with a 3-under 69 in the first round of the U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links, Bailey Tardy did one better on Friday, firing a 4-under 68 to grab the early clubhouse lead. The 26-year-old got off to a hot start with birdies on the first and third holes, stumbling with a bogey on the fifth. But Tardy reset, eagling the par-5 sixth hole and making birdie on the par-3 seventh hole for the second consecutive day to move to 7-under overall. A birdie on the par-4 ninth hole, which played as the fourth hardest hole in the first round, was a perfect exclamation point to an astounding front nine as Tardy turned in 31.
The former University of Georgia Bulldog cooled on the back nine, making one bogey and eight pars, but she matched the low round of the week and now sits at the top of the leaderboard through 36 holes in her first U.S. Women’s Open as a pro.
“I haven't performed great in the previous majors this year. I feel like I've had really good ball-striking days and then terrible putting days, and then I'll have a great putting day but a terrible ball-striking day. It's finally coming together and meshing well, and it just happens (to be) at the right time,” Tardy said, who hit 11 of 14 fairways and 15 of 18 greens in round two. “My ball-striking has just been so good. My putting has come a long way, as well. I've partnered with Mizuno this year, and just having the Mizuno driver, I launch it. I hit it so far. I think that's just been a big thing with my game is just being able to hit it far and consistent.”
Unlike many of the 156-player field, Tardy has plenty of experience with Pebble Beach, teeing it up in several Pebble Beach Invitationals in recent years, reps that have proved invaluable to the Epson Tour ambassador. She hasn’t had the most impressive of rookie seasons, missing five cuts and only managing to crack the top 25 once at the LOTTE Championship presented by Hoakalei, so this performance appears to be a turning point for Tardy.
“I love this place. It's heaven on earth. I think every hole is incredible,” Tardy said. “Other people maybe not, but I've always believed in myself to win any tournament that I enter. I'm good enough to be here, and I've been on the LPGA, so I feel like I definitely have the game to hang with the best in the world. Honestly, I'm just enjoying the moment here. I'm leading the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, and I think that's something so special, and trying not to get too ahead of myself. There's so much golf left.”
Tardy has also been enjoying the views, especially of the local wildlife and the dogs roaming the beaches that line the cliffs of the course, a welcome distraction from the stressful moments that come often at major championships. The Georgia native has a dog, Ramsey, who has been there for some of the biggest moments in her career, including at the 2022 LPGA Q-Series when Tardy earned her LPGA Tour card.
“There's a lot of seals and otters and fun water life out here. Oh, my gosh, and the dogs,” said Tardy. “I love dogs. I have one myself, but he doesn't travel with me. But the dogs on, is it 9 and 10? They're amazing. There are probably 15 dogs down there and they're just having the time of their life running in sand and the water. My caddie and I love dogs. We were just talking about how good they are.”
While Ramsey won’t be here to help quell her nerves as she looks ahead to a weekend in contention at the U.S. Women’s Open, Tardy is leaning into the uncomfortable and will give it her all in pursuit of a win here at Pebble Beach.
“I've obviously felt nerves, but I think I've always been taught the more nervous you are, like the better you've come,” Tardy said. “The more nervous situations that you have, that's what you're playing for. That's the position you want to be in. This is a dream, being at the top of the leaderboard in a U.S. Open. I have got my family here, so just having them to keep my mind off of golf at night, it's fun. I've really enjoyed all of this.”
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