Stats and Stuff: Pinehurst has been a recent fixture for U.S. Women’s Open

As Martin Kaymer strolled to an eight-stroke victory in the U.S Open on Sunday, there was a meeting of historic proportions going on near the clubhouse at Pinehurst Resort. The women were preparing for this week’s U.S. Women’s Open just as the men were finishing their third visit to Pinehurst No. 2, marking the first double date at the same course.

But it’s not like the women haven’t been fixtures in Pinehurst. Before the men even stepped foot in the Sandhills of North Carolina (1999), the women played a U.S. Women’s Open approximately five miles from Pinehurst Resort. The 1996 visit to Pine Needles was the first of three trips here (2001 and 2007 also). This year’s move from Pine Needles down Midland Road and around the traffic circle in the middle of Pinehurst marks a fourth U.S. Women’s Open in this area. No other city or region has hosted more U.S. Women’s Opens. Atlantic City, N.J., Country Club and Pine Needles have hosted the most, three apiece, but Atlantic City hasn’t been the site since 1975.

“When I stepped on the grounds, it was just magic,” Cristie Kerr, the 2007 champion, said. “Some things are just meant to happen.”

                                              
Evaluating Pinehurst No. 2
As the women watched the men finish on Sunday, the United States Golf Association opted to give Pinehurst No. 2 a more thorough watering overnight to prepare for this week’s play. Expect the continued “brown” look most often seen at British Open courses but consistent with the look of Pinehurst golf 50 years ago.

The famed Donald Ross course will play to par 70, the first time the women have played a par-70 course since the 2002 tournament at Prairie Dunes in Hutchinson, Kan.

Here are a few holes to keep an eye on:

Nos. 3 and 13: These short par 4s could be even shorter with the USGA’s recent trend to move up tees and tempt risk-reward shots. For the final round of the men’s event, the markers were moved up approximately 75 yards to create holes of just more than 300 yards. Don’t be surprised to see a similar move for the women.

No. 5: This was previously a devilish, long par 4 before the course was restored to its original Ross design. Now a par 5 (and the easiest hole for the men last week), the women will play from approximately 500 yards, giving the longer hitters an opportunity to go for the difficult green in two.

No. 6: This long par 3 played as the most difficult hole for the men last week, with a tournament-low 12 birdies. The hole was pushed back to the 240-yard range on occasion for the men and will play approximately 175 yards for the women.

Nos. 8 and 16: These play as par 5s for the membership, but are converted into long par 4s for the two championships. No. 8 is a straightaway, 429-yard hole with an elevated green. No. 16 has the only water hazard on the course (even though it is situated just in front of the tee), bends to the left and measures 458 yards, the longest par 4 on the course.

         
Non-American trend
With German Martin Kaymer’s victory in last Sunday’s U.S. Open, Europe has shown a trend of winning the title in four of the past five years (Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy in 2010 and 2011, England’s Justin Rose in 2013 and Kaymer).

The women show a South Korean streak, with six winners in the last nine years and five of the last six. Park’s victory two weeks ago on the LPGA broke a 17-tournament drought for the South Koreans on the LPGA. Park has won two U.S. Women’s Opens during the stretch. Only American Paula Creamer (2010) has broken the recent streak. Americans have won eight of the 14 LPGA events this season.

Also, last year at Sebonack Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y., South Koreans finished 1-2-3 (Park, I.K. Kim and So Yeon Ryu).

Here’s a look at the last nine U.S. Women’s Opens (South Korean winners in bold):

Etc.
Stacy Lewis, ranked No. 1 in the world, and Inbee Park, ranked second, are paired with reigning U.S. Women’s Amateur champion Emily Talley in the first two rounds. … Only three players have won the week before the U.S. Women’s Open and then captured the national championship. They include Mickey Wright in 1964 (three wins in a row, culminated by the Women’s Open at San Diego CC), Amy Alcott (two in a row) and Inbee Park (three in a row, in 2013). … The men continue to have an 18-hole playoff for the U.S. Open while the women have a three-hole aggregate playoff, which was instituted in 2007.