ERIN, Wis. — Sarah Schmelzel likes a challenge, and that’s been incredibly evident this week at the 80th U.S. Women’s Open presented by Ally at Erin Hills.

Through three rounds in the year’s second major championship, the Arizona native is just a few strokes off the lead at 3-under overall. She carded a 71 on day one and a 4-under 68 on day two, the latter of which saw her make five birdies in a six-hole stretch from holes 11 through 16. Schmelzel leaned heavily on her short game in the second round, as the 31-year-old only hit 10 of 18 greens, 10 percent less than the rest of the field.

“I think you come into this week knowing you're going to have to showcase some short game shots, and you're going to have to hit some really good chips, and a good chip might go to 10 feet and you're going to have to make a putt,” Schmelzel said on Friday. “You just know this week you're going to be tested that way. For me, I love when we play golf courses where it's a grinder's paradise. I think I kind of thrive in that setting where I know that it doesn't matter how ugly it is, I just need to get around and make pars and shoot a low score. I think that plays into my hand.”

After such a strong 68 in round two, Saturday was a bit of a different story for Schmelzel, who grinded out a 2-over 74 on Moving Day after making three bogeys and one birdie on the par-3 9th, what’s been one of the more difficult holes this week at Erin Hills. Her ball striking was much better than it was on day two, as Schmelzel hit five more fairways and four more greens in the third round, but she had 11 more putts, going from 23 to 34, and it was that part of her game that frustrated the LPGA Tour veteran the most.

“I honestly played really steady, probably tee to green, steadier than I did yesterday,” Schmelzel said. “I didn’t have much in the way of a hot putter today that I had yesterday, which was a bit unfortunate. But overall, it was pretty steady. Definitely not mad at the way I played. Just hoping to maybe get a couple more putts to drop.”

This is just the second time that Schmelzel has played the weekend at the U.S. Women’s Open in her five appearances in this major championship. She last did so in 2020 when the tournament was contested at Champions Golf Club in Houston, Texas, and ultimately tied for 23rd that week after posting a four-day total of 7-over.

Five years later, in Wisconsin, Schmelzel now has a shot to become a Rolex First-Time Winner and a first-time major winner on Sunday at the U.S. Women’s Open. She would be the second American to hoist the Harton S. Semple trophy in the last three years of this event alongside Allisen Corpuz if she can manage to close the four-shot gap that currently stands between her and 54-hole leader Maja Stark.

This is the second time this season that Schmelzel has been within five of the lead entering the final round, as she was only two shots off the pace before the last day of The Chevron Championship in April, a tournament in which she went on to finish T6, her career-best finish in a major championship. And while she certainly wouldn’t mind adding a top-five result in a major to her 2025 resume, what Schmelzel is really after is a tally in her win column and the $2.4 million check that goes to the champion, a goal she will be fighting hard to meet in the Badger State.

The kind of level-headed, chip-away-at-it attitude that Schmelzel possesses makes her an ideal chaser for a U.S. Women’s Open Sunday, as it’s usually the most unflappable, steadfast athlete who ultimately winds up hoisting the trophy. Schmelzel has got quite a bit more experience and a few more years on those at the top of the leaderboard, having had a lot more time to learn how she reacts to high-pressure situations, which is another advantage with 18 holes of high-pressure golf remaining.

And with that knowledge of herself in mind, Schmelzel will be working hard to stay calm, cool and collected with the final round at Erin Hills and a spot in the LPGA Tour winner’s circle looming large on day four at the U.S. Women’s Open.

“Any time you have an opportunity like this, it's what you work hard for. It'll be great tomorrow to be Sunday in contention at a major,” Schmelzel said. She then continued, “I think I know that in order to get the most out of myself, I have to be in it 24/7. So, I think I hold myself to that standard. And I want to play well. I don't care if it's ugly or pretty or whatever. I want to shoot a good score. With that mentality, you have to stay in it 24/7, even if it looks a little bad.”

Schmelzel Sitting Four Shots Off the Pace at Erin Hills, a “Grinder’s Paradise”

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