Lee Returns From Maternity Leave to Share US Women's Open Lead

New Mom Lee Grinds Her Way to the Top at Riviera

Talk about a comeback story. Alison Lee, who hadn't played a single major in 2025 while on maternity leave, is now leading the US Women's Open at the halfway point. The 31-year-old Los Angeles native shares the top of a congested leaderboard at four-under with China's Ruoning Yin heading into the weekend at Riviera Country Club.

Lee's 13-month-old son Levi was watching from the gallery with her partner, adding an extra layer of emotion to what's shaping up to be a special week for the American. She's playing on the USGA's deferred maternity leave exemption—a policy that allows players who've earned a championship spot to defer it—and making the most of every shot.

A Tale of Two Leaders

Lee posted a three-under 68 in her second round, mixing four birdies with a single bogey. But what's remarkable is how she got here. The first nine holes of round one were rough by her own admission.

"If you told me in the front nine I would be leading going into Saturday, I would have thought you were crazy," Lee said. "I missed a bunch of fairways and I missed a bunch of greens."

That kind of honest self-assessment tells you everything about Lee's approach this week. She's grinding, not overthinking, and the results speak for themselves. With just two top-10 finishes in 44 career major appearances, this represents her best opportunity yet to claim a major title.

Yin, meanwhile, has been the picture of consistency with back-to-back 69s. The 2023 PGA Championship winner hasn't dropped a single shot in her second round—bogey-free golf at a US Open setup is no joke.

"I had a lot of stress today," Yin admitted. "It's US Open, it's meant to be tough. You can't really have a stress-free moment on the course until it's all done. The stress and the pressure, it's also a privilege."

Korda Makes Her Move

Don't count out world number one Nelly Korda just yet. After a quiet first round, she fired the low round of the day—a five-under 67—to climb within striking distance at two-under.

The Chevron Championship winner from April talked about her mindset adjustment: "I just tried to have a really easygoing attitude today. I was definitely going to leave it all out there and grind as much as I could, but I was not going to emphasize my mistakes too much."

That relaxed approach clearly worked. Korda knows she plays her best golf when she's not putting too much pressure on herself, and with two rounds remaining, she's very much in the hunt.

Crowded Leaderboard Behind the Leaders

This one's far from over. Six players sit just one shot back at three-under:

• Jennifer Kupcho (USA) – first-round leader looking to maintain momentum
• Hinako Shibuno (Japan) – the 2019 British Open champion
• Sung-Hyun Kim (South Korea)
• Gaby Lopez (Mexico)
• Hye-Jin Yoo (South Korea)
• In-Gee Chun (South Korea)

That's a lot of major championship experience lurking just behind the leaders.

Cut Line Drama

England's Lottie Woad, fresh off her second LPGA title win in Cincinnati, had to sweat it out before a birdie at the 16th moved her safely to the weekend. Charley Hull also made the cut at three-over, though she'll need fireworks on the weekend to contend.

Not everyone was so fortunate. Bronte Law, Mimi Rhodes, and teenager Nellie Ong all headed home early, as did Sweden's Madelene Sagstrom, who was competing while seven months pregnant—a remarkable effort in its own right.

The Takeaway

Alison Lee's story is impossible not to root for. Playing in her hometown, with her infant son watching, using a maternity exemption she earned before stepping away—it's the kind of narrative that makes major championship golf special. But with Yin's steady hand, Korda's firepower, and a half-dozen players within striking distance, Saturday's third round should be appointment viewing. The US Women's Open has a habit of producing weekend drama, and this year looks primed to deliver.