Who is Ready to Pass the Toughest Test in Women’s Golf? | LPGA | Ladies Professional Golf Association

For the second time in nine years, Lancaster Country Club will play host to the 79th U.S. Women’s Open. Nestled in Pennsylvania’s farm country, the rolling hills provide an unmatched landscape for championship golf.

Not many venues receive two national championships in such short order. This 1920 William Flynn design will absolutely amaze fans this weekend on television and test the world’s best players just like it did nearly a decade ago.

In Gee Chun was unmatched in 2015 when the U.S. Women’s Open was last played at Lancaster Country Club as her 8-under total bested a major field of elite opponents, with only 13 players finishing under par that week. The par-70 scorecard looks so simple on paper, yet it comes off the page like a Stephen King novel as you play it. At 6,629 yards, it is the fifth-longest U.S.-based course on Tour this year. Is length the only attribute a player needs? Truth be told, it’d be better to invest in much more than ball speed.

Lancaster Country Club is a 27-hole facility with three nines named Meadowcreek, Dogwood and Highlands. The Meadowcreek-Dogwood combination makes up the championship course. A field of 156 players will try to get inside the top 60 and ties and tee it up on the weekend. Those who make the cut will compete for the largest purse in women’s professional golf – $12 million – with a $2 million winner’s share. That is some serious inflation since Chun won $810,000 in 2015.

With eight of 12 par 4s playing well over 400 yards, let’s first look at par-4 scoring. Of course, Nelly Korda is ranked first in the field on these holes, as she does have six wins this season. Should she slip, Rose Zhang, Brooke Henderson and Hannah Green are right behind her. That complimentary skill set of scoring on these par 4s will be the quickest way to win. Separate yourself on these challenging holes, and a player just might be able to keep Korda at bay.

The second feature of this course that always catches the eye is all of the elevation changes. Eleven holes have an uphill approach shot and only elite approach players have the confidence with their irons to hit their number above and below impact. Gaining on the field by securing as many greens in regulation as possible will not only give a player more birdie chances but will limit scoring stress by allowing these athletes to rely on their short games less. Once again, Korda ranks first, and then keep an eye on Charley Hull, Green and Zhang.

There’s a simple theme building here. Korda does have six wins already, so if you were hoping she wasn’t the betting favorite by a landslide, then you just haven’t been paying attention. To put it in perspective, Korda’s odds are more than five times less than her nearest opponent on the betting board, and the money managers believe she can grab win No. 7 this week. Who can sneak by her? How about the players who have a better record in the U.S. Women’s Open?

Henderson comes in with three straight top-15 finishes. The only player in the field with that on their resume is Xiyu Lin. Sei Young Kim is very close with three top-16 results.

Korda missed the cut in 2021, finished eighth in 2022 and came 64th last year. Admittedly a different player than a year ago, maybe it is her putter that holds her back on the toughest of tests. Angel Yin, (Sei Young) Kim, Hyo Joo Kim and Ayaka Furue all roll it better statistically than Nelly. If a player goes nuclear with the flat stick, they can compete.

The truth is that Korda’s form fits the venue. She drives it very long and accurately, which is a huge advantage around this course considering there are so many uphill approaches. When she does happen to miss. Korda ranks second on Tour in strokes gained around the green. Her short-game acumen alongside endless power and accuracy is why she has taken over. Twenty-four of the top 25 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings are in the field, and there is at least one player who can beat her. It will take an amazing effort, but it can be done.

The setup of a U.S. Women’s Open always creates a little opportunity for luck. Do I think one of the 40 first-time participants will get lucky and win? No, particularly because Korda can outdistance any field at this point.

Should the championship get close on Sunday, this parkland design just might catch her off-guard. If that moment arises, one of these names already mentioned is plenty capable of capturing the national championship crown.

But then again, Korda could win by nine.

Keith Stewart is an award-winning PGA Professional. He covers the LPGA and PGA Tour for Golf Digest, Sports Grid, 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.