Gaby Lopez made the cut at the 81st U.S. Women’s Open and heads into the weekend tied for third at 3-under par, one shot behind the leaders after 36 holes at Riviera Country Club. Her second-round 71 kept her inside the top of the board as the field was trimmed to the top 60 and ties.
That position matters now because Lopez is no longer just hanging around a major championship leaderboard — she is close enough to turn Friday into a real chance at Sunday. She started the second round one shot back and tied for second, then kept pace with a birdie at No. 1 before late trouble on Nos. 13, 14 and 15 threatened to push her back.
She answered with a 12-foot birdie putt on the par-3 16th, a shot that steadied the round and helped her stay within reach of Alison Lee and Ruoning Yin, who will begin the weekend with the lead. Lopez’s 3-under total leaves her in contact with the front even after the cut line settled at 4-over, a gap that separated the serious contenders from everyone chasing the final places.
The friction is that Lopez has done enough to put herself in the hunt, but not enough yet to control it. One shot is a thin margin at Riviera, especially with the leaders already out in front and the tournament moving into the pressure of the third round. The former Arkansas All-American will tee off at 4:15 p.m. CT alongside Sei Young Kim, and the next few holes will tell whether the round she saved with a late birdie can become the one that carries her into contention.
