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Aphrodite Deng, 16, briefly leads U.S. Women's Open, gets lucky break off famous tree

· Yahoo Sports

PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. – Aphrodite Deng is a leaderboard watcher, and when the 16-year-old U.S. Women's Open debutante looked up early into her round on Thursday, she was tied for the lead at Riviera Country Club.

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"I thought it was cool," said Deng, "but it's only the first day. I mean, at the CKPC I was leading too, so I was kind of used to it."

Canada's Deng opened with a 65 at her own national open, the CPKC Women's Open, last summer to hold a share of the early lead.

Deng won the 2025 U.S. Girls' Junior last summer at Atlanta Athletic Club to earn her spot in the field.

For a while on Thursday, it looked like nothing could go wrong for Deng, whose second shot on the par-4 12th hole ricocheted off the tree named after Humphrey Bogart – "Bogey's tree" – and nestled 6 feet from the hole. She'd go on to make birdie, one of four in her first 10 holes.

"She's so calm," said John Wood, the longtime PGA Tour caddie who has caddied at Riviera in 22 tournaments. Another longtime Tour caddie, Paul Tesori, connected the two for this week.

"It's just like it's another tournament," continued Wood, who now works for NBC and was mic'd up during the round. "It's not in her head that this is the U.S. Open and she's 16 yet ears old. She's just playing golf, It's so hard to do."

Deng sputtered down the stretch, making a two bogeys and a double on her second nine. But she closed with a birdie from 7 feet on the par-4 ninth hole to shoot 1-under 70 and take a share of 14th, four back of leader Jennifer Kupcho.

Deng was one of three amateurs to open with a 70 at Riviera. Reigning Augusta National Women's Amateur champion Maria Jose Marin and SEC champion Paula Francisco Liano joined her. Asterisk Talley, 17, shot 71.

This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Aphrodite Deng, 16, lucky break off Bogey's Tree at U.S. Women's Open

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