From the stunning shores of Lac Léman in Evian-les-Bains, France, the LPGA Tour heads to Toledo, Ohio for the Dana Open where Highland Meadows Golf Club is our host for the 34th year in a row. A beautiful parkland layout in Sylvania, scoring is without a doubt the theme for this week. Over the last five editions, the average winning total is 19-under. Nasa Hataoka even hit that total in 2021 when she took home the trophy in the weather-shortened 54-hole event.
The forecast calls for beautiful weather and plenty of sub-par scoring conditions. Temperatures are forecasted in the mid-70s and low 80s with no rain and very little wind, an absolutely perfect setup for golf. Those who have made the trip from France will be delighted to deliver in these conditions.
Highland Meadows Golf Club has seen 11 sudden-death playoffs in 34 years as the host venue, and even though we have not seen extra holes since 2018, this course provides a unique close. Holes 14, 15 and 16 are three of the toughest on the course and are then followed up by two par 5s, with 17 and 18 spanning over 1,000 yards. This closing five-hole stretch is guaranteed to ensure no lead is safe and provide endless amounts of entertainment.
When it comes to scoring at Highland Meadows, we need to focus on four areas. The first is approach play. It sounds redundant, but the fact is getting to 20-under takes excellent proximity on approach. The defending champion is known for her driving prowess, but at Highland Meadows last year, Linn Grant put on an approach clinic, gaining almost nine strokes on the field with her iron play in 2023. Coming off a major week, the best iron players in the field are Haeran Ryu, Yu Jin Sung, Carlota Ciganda and Mao Saigo. All create the most birdie chances from the fairways.
Thanks to KPMG Performance Insights, fans can look back at the last two lists of top-10 finishers and learn the second most important strokes gained category at the Dana Open is putting. Those top 10s gained an average of four strokes on the field with their putting performances. The putting surfaces are 5,000 square feet and covered in both Poa annua and Bentgrass, a common combination for northern United States courses. Our last 10 winners have played 39 rounds (2021 was shortened to 54 holes) and of those 39 rounds, only five have been 70 or higher with 87 percent of the winner’s scorecards showing numbers in the 60s. When you combine the best putters and birdie-or-better statistics on the LPGA Tour, Minami Katsu, Yuna Nishimura and Paula Reto are the ones to watch this week.
Most scoring weeks point you toward the par 5s as the place to go low, but Highland Meadows only has three of them. Those same two top 10s from the last two years tell another story.
The par-3 scoring average was 2.8 strokes and the par-4 average was 3.8 strokes, which might not look low, but it is. Four par 3s averaging 175 yards in length and six par 4s under 400 yards on the card create great scoring chances. Combining par-3 and par-4 scoring, Ryu, Saigo, Nishimura and Xiyu Lin are eye-catching. These players should have a chance to capture this title much like Grant who went 18-under on the par 3s and par 4s last year.
Linn lapped the field with a Saturday 62 that even had a bogey on the card. Reviewing the recent leaderboards the above themes and names all remain very constant.
It’s time to create your own list of possible winners and see how you do. Ayaka Furue had 11 top 20s in 17 starts this season prior to winning the Evian on Sunday, and a couple of athletes in this field are trending that way as well.
Pick two or three and let the Dana Open play out. Chances are by Sunday, we will all be watching those closing par 5s very closely.
Keith Stewart is an award-winning PGA Professional. He covers the LPGA and PGA TOUR for Golf Digest, SportsGrid, The Sporting News, LPGA, and PGA TOUR. If you are looking to raise your golf acumen and love inside information about the game, check out his weekly newsletter called Read The Line.
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