IVINS, Utah — Scotland’s Gemma Dryburgh jumped up the leaderboard on Friday at the Black Desert Championship presented by Greater Zion after carding a 7-under 65 in Ivins, Utah.

The LPGA Tour winner had posted a 1-under 71 in the first round of the inaugural event, a quiet start that left her right on the projected cut line through 18 holes. With that in mind, the 31-year-old knew she needed to put the pedal down on Friday if she wanted a weekend tee time, particularly as Black Desert Resort had given up several birdies in the first round.

Dryburgh set a goal to be 1-under for every three holes she played in round two, and the 2023 TOTO Japan Classic champion exceeded those expectations quickly by rattling off four straight birdies right away in her second round on holes 11 through 14 to race up the leaderboard to 5-under. Her last opening-nine birdie came on the par-5 18th hole, and Dryburgh turned in 31 at 6-under overall before stumbling with a double bogey on the par-4 1st hole.

But she didn’t let that misstep derail the rest of her second round, steadying herself with a birdie on the par-3 3rd hole and then making a pair of back-to-back birdies on five and six to climb to 7-under for the tournament. Dryburgh made her ninth and final birdie of the day on the par-3 8th hole to post a 65 and vault from T65 to T11 with 36 holes remaining at the Black Desert Championship.

When we saw this week, it was like, ‘Yeah, this is going to be a good week for me,’” said Dryburgh. “Everyone ends up in the same spot. Might be hitting a different club off the tee, but kind of plot your way around in similar spots. I think a week like that suits me, compared to last week, where it was really long and wet, and I was coming in with hybrids and stuff into firm greens. I still had a chance last week to make the cut, but obviously, this week kind of tried to take advantage.”

Dryburgh is currently six shots off the pace of 36-hole leader Haeran Ryu, who is at the top of the board at 14-under for the tournament and will need to continue attacking Black Desert Resort if she hopes to be contending for the title come Sunday afternoon. This is her sixth tournament of the 2025 season, and while she has had two solid finishes at the Blue Bay LPGA, where she tied for 17th, and the JM Eagle LA Championship presented by Plastpro, where she tied for 16th, it’s been a minute since Dryburgh has battled coming down the stretch for a victory, a place she’d like to find herself in sooner rather than later on the LPGA Tour.

Last year had its frustrating moments for the Scotswoman, and some missed cuts in 2024 cost her some starts early this season, so this weekend at the Black Desert Championship will be incredibly important as Dryburgh works to record either her first top 10 of 2025 or her second career Tour title, performances that would both earn her several Race to the CME Globe points.

And now, after posting a 65 when she really needed it, Dryburgh will be looking forward to the 36-hole challenge that awaits in Utah with plenty of confidence, knowing that she is more than capable of hitting the gas and getting on a roll at this gettable, low-scoring venue.

“Every year is a new year, and we start again from scratch,” Dryburgh said. “Obviously frustrating not to get into some of the events at the start of the season, but now trying to make the most of the starts I do get, get back to how I was in my form in '22 and ‘23. Off to a nice start. Hopefully, have a good weekend.

“I think just have that same goal for myself the next couple of days. Stay in those three-hole goals, and hopefully, add up to a nice number at the end of the week.”

Scotland’s Gemma Dryburgh Jumps Up Leaderboard with Friday 65 at Black Desert Resort

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