By: Max Bechtoldt
The stars have seemed to be aligning perfectly for hometown hero Sarah Schmelzel. The Scottsdale native has been playing the best golf of her career leading into her hometown event. That momentum is paying off this week so far.
Prior to 2024, Schmelzel had never had a season on the LPGA Tour with more than three top-10 finishes. Now, seemingly out of nowhere, she has finished in the top 10 in three consecutive starts, looking for her fourth near her hometown.
Schmelzel sits at -13 through the first two rounds, just one back of leader Hannah Green. The 29-year-old had a solid four under opening round, but exploded for an electric nine under Friday round. The biggest reason? Her approach work. Schmelzel hit every green on Friday. For the week, she’s only missed two in total. No surprise she only has two bogeys. Her putter came to play as well, hitting only 27 shots with the flatstick.
A win here would mean a lot for any hometown player, but for Schmelzel it would probably matter a little more. It would be her first LPGA Tour victory, would almost guarantee her spot in the final CME event and would boost her already impressive Solheim Cup resume even more.
