The best moment of 2025 has already happened for Gigi Stoll, and it wasn’t even on a golf course.

The 28-year-old proposed to her girlfriend, Steph, in July after making her tournament debut at The Amundi Evian Championship in Evian-les-Bains, France, popping the question near a stunning mountain backdrop as the pair were traveling through Switzerland. And while this year has been challenging at times for the Epson Tour alum as she has competed on the LPGA Tour, life away from the game has been pretty sweet for Gigi over the past few months.

“I've kind of had a little bit of a struggle golf-wise, but my personal life has been really good,” Stoll said after the first round of the Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G. “So, I've really been trying to work hard, and I think the dots are finally connecting, and I've been putting myself in position to play good. Today, I did that, so hopefully, we can keep it going.”

The dots certainly connected for Stoll on day one in Hamilton Township, Ohio, as the Oregon native fired a 7-under 65 to kick off her week at TPC River’s Bend, a first-round score that left her trailing 18-hole leader Chanettee Wannasaen, who fired a 63 on Thursday, by just two strokes.

Stoll parred her opening four holes before picking up a pair of back-to-back birdies on the par-3 5th and par-5 6th holes to quickly move to 2-under. She recorded another birdie on the par-5 8th hole and parred nine to turn in 33 at 3-under. After collecting her fourth first-round birdie on the par-4 10th hole, the former University of Arizona Wildcat carded an eagle on the par-5 11th hole, what wound up being the highlight of the day for Stoll.

Now at 6-under overall, Stoll made another birdie on 14 to climb to 7-under but erased that work with a bogey on the par-4 17th hole. Remaining unfazed, she hung on tightly while playing the closing hole at TPC River’s Bend, closing out round one with a birdie on the par-5 18th hole to post a 65, the lowest score she has recorded on the LPGA Tour since becoming a member in 2024.

"I got off to a steady start,” said Stoll, who hit 13 of 14 fairways and 16 of 18 greens on Thursday at the Kroger Queen City Championship. “I think a putt fell on about 4 or 5 that got some momentum going. I played the par 5s extremely well out there today. I think they're a little shorter than usual, so playing the par 5s out here is going to be a big advantage. I just got the ball rolling today.”

This is Stoll’s 17th start of the 2025 season, and in her 16 events ahead of this week’s tournament, she has made just six cuts, earning a season-best T17 result at the Blue Bay LPGA back in March. Even though her second year as an LPGA Tour member has been challenging, testing both the mental and physical parts of her game, Stoll’s happiness off the course has kept her grounded when things have been difficult and taken her mind off of golf, providing a much-needed reprieve from the stress that can come with being a professional athlete on the LPGA Tour.

“Golf is a funny game. You're always really close to playing really well,” Stoll said. “Out here, it's just a fine line between a couple of good shots here and there. It's been nice being able to go home and relax, and it's been a great balance for me.”

Now, having shot out of the gate early just outside of Cincinnati, Ohio, Stoll has set herself up to make her seventh cut of the year at the Kroger Queen City Championship, what would be her first time playing the weekend since The Standard Portland Classic in mid-August.

At a TPC River’s Bend that proved to be playing long and soft on day one, Stoll was able to take advantage of her length off the tee, averaging 278.5 yards in driving distance in the first round. She was also dialed in with her accuracy, only missing two greens and one fairway, the latter of which is critical at this venue, as athletes must place the ball in the correct spots on these undulating greens so they can capitalize on birdie opportunities.

“I feel like I'm maximizing my driver really well out here,” Stoll said. “Hit a lot of fairways. Being able to attack with good hybrids and some longer clubs into those par 5s, I feel like I hit a lot of good shots into the par 5s, which gave me some good looks.”

It’s a strategy that Stoll will continue to apply to the next 54 holes at TPC River’s Bend, three days of play the 28-year-old will be looking forward to with plenty of confidence gleaned from the 65 she posted in round one, an early effort that Stoll will remind herself she is more than capable of repeating throughout the rest of the week at the Kroger Queen City Championship.

“I think mentally staying in there, knowing I can play good golf,” said Stoll on Thursday. “I've played really good today. I've been trending in the right direction. So just to stay mentally in there and know I can hit good shots at any time.

“Just telling yourself that you're a good player. I've had a lot of good results in my career, and bad golf doesn't define who I am or how I play. It's always in there. It's really close. Golf is a game of inches. It's a game of degrees, and you're never really too far off. So staying positive and having a good support system out here is important.”

Epson Tour Alum Gigi Stoll Gets Off to Strong Start at Kroger Queen City Championship

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