Following Mao Saigo’s success in final month’s Chevron Championship, the ladies’s majors begin to come thick and quick, with one other 4 scheduled throughout the subsequent 10 weeks.
We have now journeys to PGA Frisco for the KPMG Girls’s PGA Championship (June 19–22), the Evian Resort for the Evian Championship (July 10–13), and Royal Porthcawl for the Girls’s Open (July 31–August 3) on the horizon—however this week, it’s time for the U.S. Girls’s Open, which is able to happen at Erin Hills for the primary time
TOURNAMENT HISTORY
The US Girls’s Open started as a match-play occasion in 1946 however was swiftly switched to an everyday stroke-play occasion the next 12 months. It has taken place yearly since, which makes it the oldest of the 5 present girls’s majors.
The 2 most profitable gamers within the event’s historical past—each reaching 4 victories—are Corridor of Famers: Betsy Rawls (1951, 1953, 1957, 1960) and Mickey Wright (1958, 1959, 1961, 1964).
We then have a quartet of three-time winners: Annika Sorenstam (1995, 1996, 2006), Babe Zaharias (1948, 1950, 1954), Susie Berning (1968, 1972, 1973) and Hollis Stacy (1977, 1978, 1984). Among the many record of 10 two-time champions are legends equivalent to Betsy King (1989, 1990), Juli Inkster (1999, 2002) and Inbee Park (2008, 2013).
Final 5 winners:
- 2024 (Lancaster Nation Membership)
Winner: Yuka Saso (-4)
Runner-up: Hinako Shibuno (-1)
Winner: Allisen Corpuz (-9)
Runners-up: Charley Hull, Jiyai Shin (-6)
Winner: Minjee Lee (-13)
Runner-up: Mina Harigae (-9)
Winner: Yuka Saso (-4, playoff)
Runner-up: Nasa Hataoka (-4)
- 2020 (Champions Golf Membership)
Winner: A Lim Kim (-3)
Runners-up: Jin Younger Ko, Amy Olson (-2)
Yuka Saso added her identify to that lengthy record of a number of US Girls’s Open winners in 2024, as she overcame a three-shot 54-hole deficit to expire a formidable three stroke winner at Lancaster Nation Membership. She returns to defend this week.
THE COURSE
The hanging Erin Hills was designed by the trio of Dana Fry, Mike Hurdzan and Ron Whitten, and opened for play in 2006. It continues to be labored on ceaselessly, with the returning Dana Fry overseeing a number of small renovations alongside Jason Straka.
The course will host this occasion for the primary time this 12 months, nevertheless it did stage the lads’s model of the US Open in 2017, when Brooks Koepka ran out a dominant four-shot winner with a ending rating of -16.
As a par 72 measuring 6829yds, Erin Hills is the lengthiest US Girls’s Open format since Broadmoor Golf Membership in 2011. It possesses 4x par 3s (139-184yds), 10x par 4s (321-447yds) and 4x par 5s (510-550yds).
The lay of the land at Erin Hills was shaped by a glacier 10,000 years in the past, and the architects moved as little earth as attainable to create a hilly and naturally-rugged golf course. This uncovered format options frequent, usually dramatic elevation adjustments and as a consequence of tall mounds that line many holes, blind pictures are commonplace.
The 2 main defences are wind, and the abundance of bunkers—of which there are 132 in whole—that mix into the natural panorama. It’s not unusual to cop a nasty lie in these unkempt “erosion bunkers” and with many steep-faced, they symbolize true hazards.
Uneven lies are an everyday prevalence within the extraordinarily broad, sloping fairways. That plethora of bunkers strategically litters the touchdown areas and avoiding that, three-and-a-half-inch-thick fescue tough might show simply as punishing.
Bentgrass covers the remainder of the course, together with on the agency and quick placing surfaces. These greens are fairly massive (common of 6,500 sq. ft.), usually elevated and/or multi-tiered, and the delicate breaks can outfox many. False-fronts and run-off areas feed into these bunkers, whereas the bulk are surrounded by closely-mown chipping areas, which makes for a demanding short-game take a look at.
Clear birdie possibilities listed here are few and much between. Two of the par 5s must be simply reachable in two for many of the subject, however the different two—the 550yd 7th and the 541yd 18th—are lengthy. There may be additionally the doubtless drivable 321yd par 4 2nd gap and a few different shorter par 4s, however total, par is an efficient rating on many of those holes.
Erin Hills is an thrilling US Open take a look at, and the USGA will probably be determined to get the optimum circumstances to allow it to be at its greatest this week.
THE WEATHER
The occasion is forecast to start in cool breezy circumstances on Thursday, with temperatures of round 19C and gusting winds as much as 27mph. There are a number of gentle spots of rain, which shouldn’t affect the course an excessive amount of, however it’s predicted to be heavier on Friday, and alongside a relentless breeze and gusts of 30mph+, this must be essentially the most troublesome day of the occasion.
Nevertheless, the rain is changed by sunshine over the weekend and with the winds calming down, a doubtlessly receptive course must be at its most scorable.
KEY STATS
- SG: Strategy/Greens-in-Regulation
- SG: Placing (bentgrass)
Gamers are going to should be sharp in each space this week, however the potential for moist circumstances on an extended golf course ought to play into the fingers of the longest, high-quality ball strikers. This must be particularly prevalent within the calmer weekend circumstances.
That being stated, the sphere might want to survive the windier climate within the first two rounds, which is able to seemingly imply decrease greens-in-regulation percentages and solely essentially the most assured chippers will excel from these tight lies. In the meantime, anyone with kind on bentgrass surfaces must also be favoured.
CORRELATING EVENTS
There isn’t any substitute for earlier kind on difficult, lengthy main championship layouts, however these occasions are few. I’ve checked out quite a few programs in use on the LPGA and whereas there is no such thing as a excellent comp, there are some programs which share traits greater than others.
Buick LPGA Shanghai (Qizhong Backyard Golf Membership)
Qizhong Backyard Golf Membership is one other course designed by Dana Fry. It’s an undulating format with broad fairways and frequent elevation adjustments. The massive greens use bentgrass and it’s affected by large, imposing, strategically positioned bunkers.
Black Desert Championship (Black Desert Resort)
The Black Desert Resort is an uncovered course with broad, gaping fairways, and the average elevation creates some blind tee pictures. Its bentgrass greens are massive and speedy, whereas most of them are surrounded by tightly-mown chipping areas.
Mizuho Americas Open (Liberty Nationwide)
Liberty Nationwide is flatter than Erin Hills, however as an uncovered venue with heavy bunkering, quick, elevated bentgrass greens and thick fescue tough, it might work as a comp this week.
Kroger Queen Metropolis Championship (TPC River’s Bend)
TPC River’s bend is a usually open and hilly course of an analogous size to this week’s main host. Important elevation adjustments trigger blind pictures—each off the tee and in strategy—and the massive, subtly-contoured bentgrass greens ought to present gamers with an analogous problem on the greens.
TOURNAMENT TRENDS
- Seven of the earlier 10 renewals have gone the best way of first time main winners.
- Eight of the final 10 winners had beforehand recorded a top-25 end within the occasion.
- Seven of the final 10 winners had a top-five main end.
- Solely 4 winners since 2015 had gained earlier that 12 months.
- Six of the final 10 winners had zero profession LPGA wins to their identify.
- Seven of the final 10 winners completed inside the highest 20 on their final begin, and just one got here into the occasion off the again of a missed reduce—Yuka Saso final 12 months.
THE FIELD
This 12 months’s US Girls’s Open subject will probably be graced by 46 of the highest 50 gamers on the earth. Nelly Korda nonetheless leads the best way because the No. 1 participant, with Jeeno Thitikul (No. 2), Lydia Ko (No. 3), Ruoning Yin (No. 4) and Haeran Ryu (No. 5) rounding out the highest 5.
2024 and 2021 champion Yuka Saso returns to defend. She is joined by an additional seven former winners: Allisen Corpuz (2023), Minjee Lee (2022), A Lim Kim (2020), Jeongeun Lee6 (2019), Ariya Jutanugarn (2018), Sung-Hyun Park (2017) and In Gee Chun (2015).
There have been additionally 26 qualifiers held around the globe—23 in the united statesand one every in Italy, China and Japan. Among the many names to e book their place on this week’s subject through these qualifiers are five-time main winner Yani Tseng; former No. 5 novice Amari Avery; and 2022 Girls’s US Newbie winner Saki Baba.
SELECTIONS
Market leaders: Jeeno Thitikul 15/2, Nelly Korda 8/1, Haeran Ryu 14/1, Ruoning Yin 16/1, Jin Younger Ko 20/1, Lydia Ko 22/1, Minjee Lee 22/1
Jeeno Thitikul heads the betting this week, carefully adopted by Nelly Korda. Nevertheless, there’s one participant who I’ve been eyeing up for this occasion and because the greatest tee-to-green participant on tour, I’m taking Haeran Ryu to show her constant main performances right into a victory this week.
Haeran Ryu
Ryu has recorded seven top-20 finishes in her 9 begins this season, and claimed a 3rd LPGA title with a dominant five-shot success within the Black Desert Championship two begins in the past. That was a win made all of the extra spectacular by the truth that she had endured a disappointing Sunday the earlier week on the Chevron Championship, our first main of the 12 months—the place she entered the ultimate spherical with a one-shot lead however shot a 76 to complete 6th.
Her stats this season converse for themselves. She ranks 1st on tour from tee-to-green, 2nd in greens-in-regulation, 3rd in strategy and off-the-tee—displaying each energy and accuracy with driver. Her brief recreation is sharp, rating 20th around-the-greens and though the putter could be her weak spot, it’s a constructive that every of her three LPGA wins have come on bentgrass.
Ryu’s win within the Black Desert Championship this 12 months bodes nicely—as do 3rd-place finishes within the Mizuho Americas Open and Kroger Queen Metropolis Championship—and having completed inside the highest 10 in 5 of the final 10 majors, she appears to be like able to make her breakthrough at Erin Hills. to recommend that she ought to take pleasure in this week’s format.
Saki Baba
I’m going to complete with a punt on LPGA rookie Saki Baba. This former No. 2 novice has carried out with credit score thus far in 2025, and with the assistance of her size off the tee and sharp short-game expertise, she will hit the highest of the leaderboard at an enormous value.
Baba had a brief however glowing novice profession, the spotlight of which was successful the 2022 US Girls’s Newbie. She collected quite a few excessive finishes in top-class occasions all through 2022 and 2023—ending 2nd within the Australian Girls’s Newbie, 4th within the World Newbie Staff Championship, 5th within the Augusta Nationwide Girls’s Newbie, and 6th within the Girls’s Newbie Asia-Pacific Championship.
She turned professional in 2023 and spent a lot of final 12 months on the Epson Tour, earlier than a 24th-place end at Q-Collection earned her a promotion to the LPGA this season. 2025 started in encouraging vogue, ending 17th within the Blue Bay LPGA and 6th within the Ford Championship. Though she hasn’t fired in her three LPGA begins since, she confirmed that her recreation was nonetheless in a very good place when taking the solo spot within the US Girls’s Open qualifier in Hawaii.
Baba ranks inside the highest 25 in driving distance and scrambling and can also be a stable 39th on the greens. Her US Girls’s Newbie win must also serve her nicely, as an occasion usually performed on US Open-style programs, and that 12 months’s host, Chambers Bay—an uncovered closely undulating format—definitely has sufficient in frequent with Erin Hills to recommend that she ought to take pleasure in this week’s format.