Players To Watch
Jin Young Ko- It’s the third appearance in the U.S. Women’s Open for Ko. She’s finished T15 and T17 in her two previous appearances in 2017 and 2018, respectively. In both tournaments, she improved her position after every round. She was in 58th after her first round in 2017, and 74th after her first round in 2018. The Rolex Women’s World Rankings No. 1 golfer is coming off the exact same formula in Williamsburg, as she sat in 65th through the first round, and finished at T21.
Minjee Lee- Lee makes her sixth appearance at the U.S. Women’s Open, with her best finish at T11 in 2017 in Bedminster, New Jersey. Lee’s started out strong in her last three U.S. Women’s Opens conducted by the USGA, as shes averaged just over 69 in those three to start the tournament. Her best round in the second major of the year came in 2017, when she closed with a 66 to jump up 25 spots. Lee has been consistently in contention over the last four events, finishing in the top 15 in all four, with her victory at the HUGEL-AIR PREMIA LA Open within that strong stretch of play as well.
Sung Hyun Park- The 2017 U.S. Women’s Open Champion is making her fourth career appearance in the event. Her track record of strong play goes beyond 2017, as she finished T3 at Cordevalle before joining the LPGA as a member in 2017. Park looks to rebound from her missed cut last year, as she’s still searching for her impeccable game that she had to start the year. In her last three events, Park has finished T52 in Hawaii, a MC in Los Angeles, and T35 last week in Virginia since her run of four top 25 finishes, including her win in Singapore and a T2 finish in Carlsbad.
Quotable
“After you have a seven-shot lead and end up that you have to go to a play-off, you have no expectations. I kind of got mad. But I thought: ‘OK, if I have a play-off I’m going to make sure I do my best [on] every shot because I feel like I didn’t commit over that back nine.’ I felt like I had a last chance to make myself proud.”
Ariya Jutanugarn on her victory last year, after holding off Hyo-Joo Kim in a playoff.
AON Risk Reward Hole
This par 3 is a reverse Redan hole and quite dramatic in its setting. With a false front of about 25 yards, the green slopes from on top of the ridge to the rear and two very deep bunkers guard either side of the putting complex. Depending on where the pin is cut, reward can be achieved with a bold line off the tee but risk abounds if an imprecise shot is hit here.
Numbers to Know
$5,000,000- The purse this week.
1925- The year the Country Club of Charleston was opened.
156- The number of players in the field
74- The number of U.S. Women’s Open that have been held.
43- The age that Babe Didrikson Zaharias was when she won in 1954, the oldest winner of the U.S. Women’s Open.
28- The number of US Women’s Open’s Laura Davies has made an appearance in, the most of any player in the field this week.
About This Week
It’s the second major of the year, as the field has the opportunity to make up ground on Jin Young Ko’s Rolex Annika Major Award lead. The U.S. Women’s Open conducted by the USGA will air on Fox Sports 1 and Fox Sports. On Thursday May 30th and Friday May 31th, play will air at 2:30-7:30 P.M. EST on Fox Sports 1. On Saturday June 1st and June 2nd, play will air from 2:00-7:00 P.M. EST on Fox Sports.
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