Memorial Day week takes the LPGA Tour to the season’s second major, the U.S. Women’s Open Championship conducted by the USGA. Hosted at the Country Club of Charleston in South Carolina, 156 players from 29 countries will compete for $5.5 million, the largest purse in women’s professional golf, with the winner taking home $1 million.
The 2018 U.S. Women’s Open at Shoal Creek in Alabama was one for the ages. Ariya Jutanugarn captured the title after a four-hole playoff with Hyo Joo Kim that immediately became one of the most memorable moments in LPGA history. Jutanugarn is in Charleston to defend her title, along with 11 other past U.S. Women’s Open champions – Na Yeon Choi (2012), In Gee Chun (2015), Paula Creamer (2010), Laura Davies (1987), Eun-Hee Ji (2009), Cristie Kerr(2007), Brittany Lang (2016), Inbee Park (2008, 2013), Sung Hyun Park (2017), So Yeon Ryu (2011) and Karrie Webb (2000, 2001).
In April, Jin Young Ko captured the season’s first major title at the ANA Inspiration and was first to add her name to the list of players eligible for the 2019 Rolex ANNIKA Major Award. This week is also very important to players hoping to represent the United States and Europe at the Solheim Cup, as double points are awarded in major competitions.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE U.S. WOMEN’S OPEN
- This is the 74th playing of the U.S. Women’s Open Championship.
- The last player to successfully defend her title is Karrie Webb, who won in 2000 and 2001
- Webb is playing in her 24th consecutive U.S. Women’s Open
- The youngest winner of the U.S. Women’s Open is Inbee Park, who won the 2008 championship at 19 years, 11 months and 17 days of age
- Babe Didrikson Zaharias is the oldest winner, taking the 1954 Women’s Open at 43 years and 7 days old
- The 2020 U.S. Women’s Open will be held at Champions Golf Club in Houston, Texas, followed by the 2021 U.S. Women’s Open at The Olympic Club in San Francisco, Calif.
ARIYA JUTANUGARN READY TO DEFEND USWO TITLE
When Ariya Jutanugarn stepped to the 10th tee in the final round of the 2018 U.S. Women’s Open, she had a seven-stroke lead. Nine holes later, that advantage had totally evaporated. Jutanugarn needed four playoff holes to defeat Hyo-Joo Kim and cement perhaps the biggest mental comebacks in her professional career.
“I played like absolutely like great my front nine. Like to me, it's unbelievable. I'm never going to play that good again, I felt like,” said Jutanugarn when asked to reminisce about that day in Alabama. “And then turn on No. 10, all I'm thinking about, you know what? I'm in a seven-shot lead. I'm going to keep the seven-shot lead until the last hole. It should be easy for me to win the tournament, but that's not a good way to think about that.”
Fast forward to this year and Jutanugarn is looking for her first victory of the 2019 season. It’s actually been a somewhat quiet season for the 23-year-old from Thailand, who has just two top-10 finishes to her name but also has not missed a single cut in her 11 tournament appearances. She is ready for the challenge presented by the Country Club of Charleston, a Seth Raynor design that is much trickier than it appears to the naked eye.
“The first few holes, when I look at the course, I feel like actually, it's pretty wide open. So it might be not that tough,” said Jutanugarn, who starts her title defense at 8:06 a.m. on Thursday. “But then when you keep playing and you see some holes out there, like short par 4, it's really narrow. You have to put your ball in the right spot.”
Jutanugarn will tee off at 8:06 a.m. on No. 10 on Thursday with 2017 U.S. Women’s Open champion Sung Hyun Park and leading American Lexi Thompson.
INBEE PARK AIMS TO KEEP COOL IN CHARLESTON
2008 and 2013 U.S. Women’s Open champion Inbee Park stepped onto the Country Club of Charleston for the first time Monday and felt nothing by good vibes as she heads into her 13th U.S. Women’s Open appearance.
“It’s really great to come to the U.S. Women’s Open. Such special memories in my career, and especially the last one I won in 2013. It was just so memorable,” said Park, who also has major wins at the 2013 Kraft Nabisco Championship (now the ANA Inspiration) and 2013 Wegmans LPGA Championship (now the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship). “I still remember it like it was yesterday. It was my third major in a row for that year and becoming a two-time champion of the U.S. Women’s Open is just something that’s unforgettable in my golfing career. If I can write my name one more time on the trophy, that will be just something unreal.”
Park is looking to secure her eighth major victory this week in Charleston, which would also be her 20th LPGA victory. She says this week’s key to success is to keep from overheating in the sticky humidity and high temperatures.
“You just drink a lot of water and try not to burn yourself up before the Thursday because I know that I really want to see the golf course as many times as I can,” said Park, who only plans to play the course twice in full over the practice days. “But at the same time, you kind of have to avoid doing that because playing 18 holes three times before the tournament will definitely burn you out.”
Park will tee off at 7:44 a.m. on No. 10 on Thursday with Rolex Women’s Golf Rankings World No. 1 Jin Young Ko and No. 2 Minjee Lee.
15 PLAYERS RETURNING TO CHARLESTON
While the Country Club of Charleston is hosting its first major championship, it is not totally unfamiliar to several players in this week’s field. The club was the site of the 2013 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship, with the LPGA’s Emma Talley taking a 2-and-1 victory over Yueer Cindy Feng. Talley is one of 15 players in the U.S. Women’s Open field to compete at the 2013 U.S. Women’s Amateur:
- Maria Fassi (lost in the third round)
- Brooke Henderson (lost in the first round)
- Megan Khang (lost in the first round)
- Jennifer Kupcho (did not reach match play)
- Andrea Lee (did not reach match play)
- Minjee Lee (lost in the first round)
- Yu Liu (did not reach match play)
- Gaby Lopez (lost in the first round)
- Leona Maguire (lost in the second round)
- Ally McDonald (lost in the second round)
- Stephanie Meadow (lost in the first round)
- Su Oh (lost in the quarterfinals)
- Annie Park (lost in the quarterfinals)
- Emma Talley (champion)
- Angel Yin (did not reach match play)
NOTABLE FIRST-ROUND GROUPINGS
Emma Talley, who won the 2013 U.S. Women’s Amateur at the Country Club of Charleston, has the honor of hitting the first tee shot of the 2018 U.S. Women’s Open at 7 a.m., alongside Ally McDonald and Mariah Stackhouse on the first tee
Defending champion Ariya Jutanugarn opens her title defense at 8:06 a.m. on the 10th tee, playing with 2017 champion Sung Hyun Park and leading American Lexi Thompson
Bronte Law, who last week became a Rolex First-Time Winner at the Pure Silk Championship, tees it up for the first time as a LPGA champion at 1:29 p.m. on No. 10, playing with Annie Park and Amy Olson
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