Paula Francisco plays her shot out of a bunker on the seventh hole during the first round of the 2026 U.S. Women's Open Presented by Ally at The Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif. on Thursday, June 4, 2026. (Simon Bruty/USGA)
Francisco shoots 1-under in opening round of U.S. Open
Thursday, June 4, 2026 | Women's Golf
The 2026 SEC Individual and rising senior, Paula Francisco is tied for 11th in her major championship debut.
Pacific Palisades, Calif. - Florida women's golfer Paula Francisco shot an opening-round 1-under 70 at the 81st U.S. Women's Open to sit tied for 11th, three shots off the lead as the afternoon wave tees off at Riviera Country Club. The rising senior was tied for the lead during in her round, reaching at 3-under at one point.
Francisco tees off in the second round tomorrow at 5:20 p.m. ET with live coverage on USA Network (2-7 p.m.) and NBCSN/Peacock (7-10 p.m.).
An All-American selection this season, she recently completed a stellar junior campaign that featured winning the 2026 SEC Individual Championship, setting the program's 54-hole score record (200, -10) in her first collegiate win at the Gators Invitational and posting the second-lowest single-season stroke average (71.0) in program history.
Francisco set the tone in major championship debut with a birdie on her first hole of the day, the par4 10th (307 yards). She rolled in back-to-back birdies on the 16th (par3, 143) and 17th (par5, 518) to make the turn 2-under. The Madrid, Spain, native reached 3-under with a birdie to begin her second nine on the par5 (499 yards) first. Her final birdie came on the par3 (152) sixth.
A finalist for the ANNIKA Award and WGCA Player of the Year, two of her three birdies on par-3 holes came from 19 feet on No. 6 and 17 feet on No. 16.
Fellow Gator Siuue Wu also made her major championship debut and opened with a 2-over 73. Wu carded a 2-under front nine and tees off in the second round tomorrow at 4:58 p.m. ET.
Francisco tees off in the second round tomorrow at 5:20 p.m. ET with live coverage on USA Network (2-7 p.m.) and NBCSN/Peacock (7-10 p.m.).
An All-American selection this season, she recently completed a stellar junior campaign that featured winning the 2026 SEC Individual Championship, setting the program's 54-hole score record (200, -10) in her first collegiate win at the Gators Invitational and posting the second-lowest single-season stroke average (71.0) in program history.
Francisco set the tone in major championship debut with a birdie on her first hole of the day, the par4 10th (307 yards). She rolled in back-to-back birdies on the 16th (par3, 143) and 17th (par5, 518) to make the turn 2-under. The Madrid, Spain, native reached 3-under with a birdie to begin her second nine on the par5 (499 yards) first. Her final birdie came on the par3 (152) sixth.
A finalist for the ANNIKA Award and WGCA Player of the Year, two of her three birdies on par-3 holes came from 19 feet on No. 6 and 17 feet on No. 16.
Fellow Gator Siuue Wu also made her major championship debut and opened with a 2-over 73. Wu carded a 2-under front nine and tees off in the second round tomorrow at 4:58 p.m. ET.
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