Melanie Green – Photo by Max Bechtoldt/Women’s Golf Daily News
At the end of the first round of the Riviera Maya Open, Melanie Green and Brianna Do share the lead, with some big-time names close behind.
Melanie Green, a rookie on the LPGA Tour, was in one of the first groups out in the morning, and made an early statement. Green was the Epson Tour Player of the Year in 2025 and has been making a solid early impact on the LPGA Tour.
Green made a few early birdies, along with one bogey. Her round took a major turn on her sixth hole, the 15th on the course. Green hit a beautiful shot into the par 3 that trickled perfectly in the hole for the first ace of Green’s LPGA Tour career. Green didn’t even know it went in until she got to the green and checked the hole.
From there, Green closed out her first nine with a couple birdies before an even par back nine to shoot -6 for the round.
Green is a star in the making, abnormally friendly with fans, media and volunteers, solid rounds like this will make her one of the most popular players on the LPGA Tour in short time.
She is tied with Brianna Do, a long-term grinder who is 36-years-old and has just one top-10 finish in her LPGA Tour career. Do also had a quick start, with four birdies on her first five holes. She was solid from there, making three birdies and one bogey to finish up with a -6 score.
These two players, one relatively inexperienced and the other without a lot of success, will have to deal with stars like Carlota Ciganda (-5) and Gaby López (-4), who lurk behind them.
More than anything though, Nelly Korda sits just two strokes behind the lead. Korda made three birdies, an eagle and a bogey on her way to a -4 68 round. Korda is the No. 2 player in the Rolex Rankings and hasn’t finished worse than second in her five starts this season.
About the Author
