The 80th U.S. Women`s Open is set to begin this Thursday at Erin Hills Club in Erin, Wisconsin. Golfers will compete for the oldest major championship title and the largest prize purse in women`s professional golf.
This marks the first time Erin Hills has hosted the Women`s U.S. Open. The course, famous for its rolling fairways and glacier-formed greens, is expected to present one of the most challenging tests of the year for the world`s top golfers.
Two-time major champion Nelly Korda commented on the course challenges, stating, “It tests every part of your game. It`s very demanding. It`s firm. It`s fast, as well. Even if you think you`ve hit it good, you can exhale when you see it stop. I would say even the weather plays a big role with the shots out here, with the putts.”
Ahead of the second major of the season, here`s a look at some of the key storylines:
Can Nelly Get Going?
While men`s world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler took some time to find his winning form this season, it`s been a similar pattern for women`s world No. 1 Nelly Korda on the LPGA Tour.
Unlike last year, when Korda had already secured six victories by the second major, she is still seeking her first win in seven starts this season.
Reflecting on her year, Korda stated, “Yeah, it`s been a very interesting year for me. Definitely have had a bit of good and a bit of bad. Kind of a mix in kind of every event that I`ve played in. I would say just patience is what I`ve learned and kind of going back home and really locking in and practicing hard.”
Despite not having a win, Korda`s performance hasn`t been poor. She has finished in the top 25 in all but one event, including a runner-up finish in the season opener and tying for fifth in her most recent start.
Her statistics show strong play, ranking second on the LPGA Tour in strokes gained: total and off the tee, and ninth in tee to green. She also ranks highly in approach and putting.
Korda will be aiming for a better outcome at the U.S. Women`s Open, a tournament where she has struggled previously, including three missed cuts in her last five starts. Notably, last year she carded a challenging 10 on a par-3 and an opening round of 80, leading to a missed cut despite improving in the second round.
“Oh, yeah, lots of ups and downs,” Korda said about her U.S. Open history. “I mean, it`s the biggest test in the game of golf. Definitely has tested me a lot. I love it.”
Korda will be grouped with England`s Charley Hull and Lexi Thompson for the first two rounds, teeing off at 2:25 p.m. ET on Thursday and 8:40 a.m. ET on Friday.
“At the end of the day, this is why we do what we do is to play these golf courses in these conditions, to test our games in every aspect,” Korda added. “Not even just our games, our mental [strength], as well. I enjoy it, and I`m excited to see what this week is going to bring.”
Ko Eyes Career Grand Slam
Lydia Ko has an opportunity to become the eighth golfer in LPGA history to achieve the career Grand Slam this week at her 14th attempt at the U.S. Women`s Open. She has recorded two top-10 finishes in the event, but missed the cut last year for the first time.
At just 27 years old, Ko already boasts three major titles: the 2015 Evian Championship, the 2016 Chevron Championship, and the 2024 Women`s British Open.
Ko is paired with defending champion Yuka Saso and amateur Rianne Malixi for the first two rounds. They will tee off at 8:40 a.m. ET on Thursday and 2:25 p.m. ET on Friday.
“I think as long as I`m playing, it`s always good to have a goal, so that when I`m working on things, I`m always going forward and not trying to think, `Oh, did I this, so who cares?`” Ko said about the prospect of the Grand Slam. “So it`s just more to just keep myself more motivated. Hopefully not, but even if I never win a U.S. Women`s Open, I don`t think I`m going to wake up from my sleep and go, `I never won.`”
The elite list of golfers who have completed the career Grand Slam includes Louise Suggs, Mickey Wright, Pat Bradley, Juli Inkster, Karrie Webb, Annika Sorenstam, and Inbee Park. Karrie Webb uniquely achieved a `super` career Grand Slam by winning different majors multiple times.
Sweden`s Anna Nordqvist also has a chance to complete her career Grand Slam this week; she has previously won the Women`s PGA Championship, Evian Championship, and Women`s British Open.
Yuka Saso Seeks Third U.S. Women`s Open Victory
Yuka Saso will be attempting to join an exclusive club of golfers who have won the U.S. Women`s Open three times.
Only six players have previously won the title three or more times: Betsy Rawls (4 wins), Mickey Wright (4), Babe Didrikson Zaharias (3), Susie Maxwell Berning (3), Hollis Stacy (3), and Annika Sorenstam (3).
“I could call myself a two-time major champion, and better than that, two-time U.S. Women`s Open champion,” Saso said of her previous wins. “I think it`s a great tournament to have beside my name, and, I don`t know, maybe because I dreamed of winning this, and winning it twice is much better.”
Saso holds a unique place in the tournament`s history as the only player to win representing two different countries. Her first victory in 2021 at the Olympic Club was for the Philippines, her birth country. Her second win last year was while representing Japan, her father`s homeland. She held dual citizenship until 2022, when she chose Japanese citizenship before her 22nd birthday, as required by Japanese law.
Erin Hills: A Challenging Venue
Erin Hills Golf Course, located approximately 35 miles northwest of Milwaukee, is set up as a par-72 course playing at 6,829 yards, making it the second-longest course featured on the LPGA Tour calendar this season.
The course previously hosted the men`s U.S. Open in 2017, where Brooks Koepka won with a score of 16-under 272. Scoring is not expected to be as low this week, particularly if the wind becomes a factor.
The forecast includes a possibility of thunderstorms and winds reaching 10-20 mph on Friday, with sunnier skies and lighter winds (5-10 mph) predicted for the weekend.
Defending U.S. Women`s Open champion Allisen Corpuz commented on the course`s scale and demands: “It`s definitely a really big course. I hit a lot more hybrids and woods than I would have wanted to into greens [during Monday`s practice round]. I think just any major, ball-striking is always really important. I think especially with the green complexes here [and] a lot of run-offs, just a few tight fairways that will definitely be key here.”
Erin Hills is notable for having no water hazards, but it features 132 sand bunkers and challenging 3½-inch fescue rough, which will require precise play.
Nelly Korda also highlighted the difficulty, stating, “It`s very demanding off the tee with all the bunkers. The bunkers are not easy. Sometimes you just don`t even have a stance in them because they`re so small. Then the shots into the greens and also the greens. Just an overall good test of your entire game.”
The USGA`s senior director of championships, Shannon Rouillard, noted that alternate tees are available, allowing flexibility based on conditions. She stated, “It`s really important that the test remains relative and appropriate to the conditions that we`re going to face, whether they`re wet or whether we`re going to experience some greater wind conditions.”
