When you think about a major golf championship, you picture focus, routine, and calm preparation.
But for 20-year-old American golfer Amari Avery, her second US Women’s Open has been anything but ordinary—and not in a good way.
An Overnight Break-In Turns into a Midnight Escape
It all started Thursday night when what should have been a quiet evening turned into a frightening ordeal.
Avery, who’s staying in a rental house near the tournament venue, had to flee in the middle of the night after someone allegedly tried to break into the property.
According to the Golf Channel, she and her boyfriend were inside when the attempted break-in happened.
With no time to waste, they grabbed what they could and rushed to a hotel.
That alone would rattle anyone—let alone a young athlete trying to compete at the highest level.
The Mix-Up That Left Her Without Her Clubs
As if escaping a break-in wasn’t enough stress, the next morning brought a whole new problem.
Avery’s boyfriend, USC golfer Gavin Aurilia, headed back to California—but accidentally took her golf bag with him.
In a simple case of mistaken identity, he grabbed the wrong set of clubs.
Turns out, the couple owns identical travel bags.
That left Amari without her equipment just hours before tee time.
Her solution? Borrow a set of clubs from fellow pro Gabriela Ruffels, who had already completed her round that day.
Even her golf hat wasn’t hers—she had to borrow one of Ruffels’ too.
A True Test of Grit: Competing With Borrowed Gear
Despite all the drama, Avery didn’t let it completely derail her.
With someone else’s clubs and very little sleep, she still managed to hold her ground on Friday.
When play was suspended due to darkness, she was even par through 16 holes in her second round and sat at one-under overall—just seven strokes behind the leaders.
Thankfully, help was on the way. Avery’s boyfriend’s mom stepped in and flew her actual clubs from California to Wisconsin, so she should be back with her own gear by Saturday.
Charley Hull and Lexi Thompson: Awkward Vibes on the Green
While Avery was battling her own off-course chaos, another storyline brewed on the greens.
England’s Charley Hull seemed to grow visibly frustrated with Lexi Thompson’s slow play during Thursday’s opening round.
Hull—who made headlines last year for puffing a cigarette mid-round—has never shied away from calling out slow play.
And during one moment on the first hole, a clip posted online showed Hull letting out a deep sigh as Thompson stood over her putt, methodically working through her routine.
The tension didn’t ease. By the eighth hole, Hull was already heading to the ninth tee before Thompson had even finished putting.
Later on, she started walking down the 18th fairway before Lexi and Nelly Korda had finished hitting off the tee.
Resilience Amid the Mayhem
Through it all, Avery’s composure has stood out. For someone only a year into her professional career, she’s shown remarkable calm in the face of total disruption.
From fleeing a home in the middle of the night to playing without her clubs, it’s been a dramatic couple of days for the young golfer.
Whether or not she climbs further up the leaderboard, her performance under pressure is already one of the standout stories of this year’s US Women’s Open.
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