What I love most about the current LPGA Tour schedule is the addition of classic golf courses. Whether we see them for major championships or weekly tournaments, they excite an already popular product. There's no place where drama takes center stage more than Hollywood, and the JM Eagle LA Championship presented by Plastpro starts Thursday at Wilshire Country Club.
Nestled in the valley of central Los Angeles, this 1919 design is watched over by the Hollywood hills sign and Griffith Observatory. This week's winner won't win an Oscar, but she will be the Best across these eighteen holes. The par-71 layout measures 6,447 yards. So even though this course is 300-plus yards shorter than last week at Carlton Woods, WCC might be an even more challenging test.
Eight of the top 10 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings are here along with 23 of the top 30. The LPGA Tour season is now in full swing, and that's great news for the fans. Record numbers watched Lilia Vu win her first major championship last week on NBC. With a quick transition, this event could draw another incredible audience. These women have been to Wilshire before. From 2018 to 2022, the DIO Implant LA Open was contested on this course.
The list of past champions at Wilshire CC is a who's who of the last five years.
- 2022 – Nasa Hataoka (-15)
- 2021 – Brooke Henderson (-16)
- 2019 – Minjee Lee (-14)
- 2018 – Moriya Jutanugarn (-12)
Each victory is more impressive than the last. A year ago in Los Angeles, Hataoka scored four rounds in the 60s and won by five strokes.
How have Nasa and the rest succeeded at this classic setting sculpted for shotmakers? By controlling their controllables.
The women this week must keep the ball out of trouble.
Follow these four steps to scoring and come Sunday one of these ladies will be ready to take another victory plunge.
- Hit the fairway. Wilshire CC tests you off the tee. Length and accuracy are key. Most of the fairways bend and/or sit on a hillside. Catching the correct side of the landing area is the key to collecting a green in regulation (GIR). When it comes to driving the ball in this field, Nelly Korda, Minjee Lee, Brooke Henderson, Yuka Saso, and Charley Hull are the best.
- Collect GIRs. From the fairway, you must hit the green. Every tournament is a GIR contest, and the LA Championship is no different. Birdie putts lead to better scoring. The LPGA leaders in getting on the green competing here are Jin Young Ko, Atthaya Thitikul, Hyo Joo Kim, Ally Ewing, and Georgia Hall.
- Convert your opportunities. The average green size at Wilshire CC is 5,000 sq/ft. If you hit the green, you'll have a reasonable birdie putt. Converting opportunities is a skill and Atthaya Thitikul, Lilia Vu, Nelly Korda, Carlota Ciganda, and Georgia Hall can all cash in on the greens.
- Handle the par 4s. All classic golf courses test you with a variety of par 4 challenges. Scoring on these holes is an excellent indicator of both the LPGA and PGA TOUR. Walk away for the week with a low aggregate score on the 4s, and you'll be in contention alongside these players: Atthaya Thitikul, Celine Boutier, Georgia Hall, Allisen Corpuz, and Jin Young Ko.
By the caliber of these names, you can quickly see who will most likely win this week. Traditional layouts continually examine all elements of your game. The last hole this week epitomizes the whole week. The 18th is a par 3, a 155-yard shot from a tee box. Hit the green and you can make birdie. Miss the green, and a deep bunker or a serious swale will sweep your ball away from the target.
It sounds simple, but that is what it means to control the controllables. The JM Eagle LA Championship winner will be the woman who can perform under the Hollywood spotlight, maintain her composure, and strike it close when it counts.
Keith Stewart is an award-winning PGA Professional. He covers the LPGA and PGA Tour for Sports Illustrated, 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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