In her tournament debut and in only her second year on the LPGA Tour, Nataliya Guseva has held her own over the first two days of the T-Mobile Match Play presented by MGM Rewards, where she has faced some of the biggest names in women’s golf.

“I feel like when we go out here, we're kind of on the same level,” Guseva said about taking on the world’s best at Shadow Creek Golf Course. “It's all about just being confident and believing in yourself.”

The Match-Play field of 64 athletes has been divided into 16 groups of four players, who compete within their group over the first three days. Guseva, the No. 50 seed, is grouped with three Solheim Cup veterans - No. 15 Rose Zhang, No. 18 Megan Khang and No. 47 Albane Valenzuela. Although Guseva’s group has significant match-play experience, it's Guseva who leads the group in points through the first two days of pool play after she tied her match with Zhang on day one and defeated Khang 2 and 1 on day two.

“I knew that this experience is going to help them,” Guseva said about her group’s Solheim Cup experience. “But at the same time, I know if I play well, I can beat anyone here.”

That fighting spirit is something Guseva picked up while playing for the University of Miami and a lesson she said she learned from coach Patti Rizzo. Guseva was named ACC Freshman of the Year during her time at Miami, and after two years playing for the team, she turned professional. Guseva won on the Epson Tour in 2023 before joining the LPGA Tour in 2024.

“I'm always like that. I'm never giving up. I'm a big fighter,” Guseva said about her attitude on the golf course. “Our coach taught us to fight until the end, and I think that's the most important thing.”

Leaning on that no-quit attitude, Guseva enjoyed an impressive rookie campaign on the LPGA Tour in 2024. She racked up six top-10 results and closed out her season on a high with a runner-up finish at the LOTTE Championship presented by Hoakalei and a seventh-place finish in her first appearance at the CME Group Tour Championship.

Guseva’s fighting spirit was tested during her match with Khang on Thursday. And although she trailed early, Guseva won back-to-back holes on three and four to flip the match in her favor and never trailed the rest of the day. She closed out the match with a 2-and-1 victory on the par-3 17th hole.

“It was definitely fun to play with Megan. You go out there and you don't even feel like you're playing match play against each other,” Guseva said about her opponent on day two. “It felt at some point like I had that lead and then I gave it to her, but then I knew that I have to stay in the moment and never give up because matches are all about that, and putting your personality out there and fight until the end.”

On Friday, Guseva will have to fight through one more match against Valenzuela if she wants to maintain her spot atop her group and advance to the Round of 16 this weekend with a chance of picking up her first title on the LPGA Tour.

“I think golf is about having fun, and when you make it more difficult, it makes you think miserable out there,” she said. “I don't want to have that feeling. I will keep it easy and make it fun.”

Guseva Holds off Solheim Cup Veterans to Lead Group

Related Articles