One club demoralized her. A switch has her leading U.S. Open

ERIN, Wis. — Yealimi Noh is amused. She gets the question incessantly. 

But that in itself is validation.

Can I try it again?

“I’m like, you asked me this a couple months ago,” Noh said. “Now they’re like, oh, can I try it, try it? 

“I’m like, okay.”

“Okay” would be selling short Noh’s play on Thursday during U.S. Women’s Open first-round play at Erin Hills. After a four-under 68, the 23-year-old pro from San Francisco was tied at the top after the morning wave. She made three birdies. On the par-4 15th, she chipped in for eagle.

All of which makes a scene two years ago so maddening. Noh’s swing is, all at once, powerful, smooth and efficient. It’s what you want. But her putting at the time? Undesirable. 

She said she had the yips.  

“I was not in a good spot with my putting …” Noh said after her round. “To be honest, I was having the yips, and it was really difficult. 

“I didn’t know what to do.”

Her coach had a thought: Why not try a long putter? She gave it a go. At first, it was a little awkward — she didn’t know how to use it. Pride didn’t interrupt her, though. “It probably doesn’t matter when you’re struggling,” Noh said. “You will do anything you can to get better. I don’t think that was in the picture.”

A short while later, she switched to an L.A.B Golf broomstick, and things clicked. This season on the LPGA, Noh’s gaining strokes in putting. At Erin on Thursday, she hit just 28 putts. On the par-4 2nd hole, she dropped a 15-footer for birdie. On the par-3 13th, she rolled in a 17-footer for birdie. Her process appears polished. Her left hand goes on top of the putter. The right one goes on the lower grip. There’s a quick look at the hole. Then the stroke. 

And yeah, her tour colleagues are asking to least have a look at the stick.

“Yeah, my speed was really good today, and I worked a lot on that leading up to today,” Noh said. “The L.A.B. putter has been so much for me, not only the long putts, but the short putts. Really solid with those.

“My speed honestly has gotten a lot better with the long putter. Yeah, way better than when I had a standard length putter. So it’s been really good.”

It contributed in a win in early February at the Founders Cup, her first on the LPGA. From there, she said she believes things have been unlocked. In seven events, she’s played on six weekends, though the one missed cut came at the Chevron Championship, the year’s last major. “Yeah, so much more confidence,” Noh said of her win. “I think it takes a lot of pressure off my back and a lot of — yeah, just confidence and assurance and more belief in myself and my shots and what I can do even if I don’t have a great start or a great round.”  

Friday brings another challenge. Noh will start Round 2 in contention for a major. 

It’s also more validation. 

“Yeah, I think it’s a great start, but for the next few days, do the same thing,” Noh said. 

“Focus on hitting a lot of fairways and a lot of greens and keeping it going.”

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