Irish struggle in Aramco Houston Championship
Lauren Walsh, Annabel Wilson and Sara Byrne have their work cut out to make the cut in the Aramco Houston Championship.
Walsh was joint 85th after opening with a three over 75 with Wilson 93rd after a 76 and Byrne (pictured above by Mark Runnacles/LET) 98th after a 78 in the battle to make the top 60 and ties after today’s second round.
England’s Mimi Rhodes opened with a 66 to lead the Individual competition with Team Boutier on top at the end of the first day of action.
In hot and humid conditions at Golfcrest Country Club, the English star shot a round of six-under-par to hold a two-stroke lead in the Individual competition.
Rhodes, who has won three times on the LET in her rookie season, made her first birdie of the day on the fourth before two more on the seventh and eighth holes.
The 23-year-old dropped her only shot of the day on the ninth but bounced back with a birdie on 10 before rolling in three on the trot on 13, 14 and 15 to seal her round of 66.
“I played really solidly out there,” said Rhodes, who leads the LET Order of Merit. “I had a bit of a distraction with my feet because I had blisters.
“It really helps playing with pain because it distracts you from everything. The heat was tough to handle, but I was drinking water every hole. Overall, my game was really good, and my putting is back to where it is good.
“I was just playing my game out there and trying not to get heatstroke! I hit a few bad shots that ended up good, but apart from that I played really well. My feet get really sweaty in the heat, it’s more of a sweat rash than blisters. It’s a good distraction.
“We started off pretty good in the team, Celine [Herbin] got a birdie on the first hole, so it always helps when people around you are playing well. We had a really good environment out there cheering each other on and got some putts rolling in.”
Four players are in a share of second place with Spanish duo Nuria Iturrioz and Luna Sobron Galmes, Malaysia’s Ashley Lau, and Anne Van Dam of the Netherlands all on four-under-par.
It was a flawless day for four-time LET winner Iturrioz as she rolled in birdies on the fourth, eighth, ninth and 14th holes.
“It was a good round,” said Iturrioz. “I played really solidly, but I did miss quite a few putts, so I felt like there were more chances out there. Overall, I’m happy with how I played and it gives me confidence for tomorrow.
“The plan is the same to keep my swing in a good rhythm. If I can do that, I think I’ll be okay. It’s a really good golf course, I know there was a lot of rain last week but it dried out really quickly. The greenkeeping team has done a great job.”
2026 PING Junior Solheim Cup captain Van Dam had an excellent start to her round and finished the day with six birdies and one double bogey on her scorecard to also be in T2.
“It was one of those rounds where you blink and suddenly everything goes straight and everything you hit close goes in the hole,” said five-time LET winner Van Dam. “It was one of these nice rounds where you get off to a super hot start and try to hold on.
“I didn’t hit that bad of a shot on the fifth hole, but it went in the water. Other than that, I played really nicely. I was moving for two weeks and just practiced a little bit the past three weeks. I came in well rested and ready to go.”
Malaysia’s Lau had six birdies and two bogeys on her scorecard to be in a tie for second place and two shots behind leader Rhodes.
“Weather is a big thing this week, but Malaysia is just like this,” said Lau. “I would say I’m pretty comfortable with this weather. I did a lot of work with my coach last week and it’s starting to pay off. I haven’t shot a good first round in a while and this is a great start to the tournament.
“It was great out there. I was surprised I got picked [by Alison Lee], I think we all had conversations here and there and had some chemistry on the course. I was nervous coming down the stretch as I’m not used to playing in front of big crowds, so more experience with that and sticking to my game plan.”
It was a similar day for Spain’s Sobron Galmes, who has had two top-5 results on the LET in 2025, as she also carded a round of 68 (-4).
“I played really good, I feel really comfortable, and my caddie read the greens really well,” said Sobron. “I was feeling full of confidence. On Monday, I lost my clubs, so I was playing with new clubs and I’m grateful Titleist and the companies could help me.
“I went to the course with no expectation as I didn’t know how the clubs would work and that’s the key with golf is that you can’t plan anything. I think my putter was really good and my shots to the green.”
Sobron is part of Team Boutier, who sit at the top of the Team leaderboard after posting a round of 18-under-par on day one.
Led by France’s Celine Boutier, the quartet made up of Sobron, Argentina’s Magdalena Simmermacher and Australia’s Maddison Hinson-Tolchard combined well to lead the team competition by two strokes.
“The team spirit was good, we definitely got going from the first hole. Each of us had lots of birdies in the team. It was fun to get going and fun to have a good team atmosphere,” said Boutier.
“It would be really fun to win the Team event. I definitely haven’t done that yet and giving us a chance tomorrow is always good.”
Team Tan sit in second place with a score of 16-under-par with Team Van Dam third one shot further back; meanwhile, five teams are in T4 on 14-under-par.
Eight players are in a share of sixth place on three-under-par in the Individual leaderboard including world number 10 Charley Hull and two-time LET winner Sara Kouskova, who attended the University of Texas.
A highlight of the day was Czechia’s Kristyna Napoleaova making a hole-in-one on the fifth with her 9-iron.
The second round will begin at 7.30 am (local time) with leader Team Boutier teeing off at 9.59 am (local time) at Golfcrest Country Club with the Team winners being crowned at the end of the day.
Meanwhile, Jonny Caldwell and Dermot McElroy missed the cut in the GAC Rosa Challenge Tour in Poland.
Caldwell shot a level par 70 to miss the weekend by seven shots on five over with McElroy seven over after a 75.
Romain Wattel will take a one-stroke lead into the weekend at Rosa Golf Club .
The Frenchman impressed on day two in Konopiska, carding six birdies in a 64 to lead on nine under, one clear of four others at the top of a congested leaderboard.
