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U.S. Women’s Open makes debut at Pebble Beach
By Jean Harris CONTRIBUTOR
For the first time in its history, the U.S. Women’s Open is being played at Pebble Beach Golf Links July 6-9. This is extremely important to the ladies’ game and is an affirmation that the LPGA has finally arrived.
The women will be playing for a purse of $10 million, up from $5.5 million last year. What makes Pebble Beach so special is that it is a public course that can be played by anyone who can afford the $800 green fee, cart or caddie. I was fortunate to play the course in the 1980s with my son and it was one of the best golf experiences of my life.
Pebble Beach annually hosts the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. It is one of the most-watched golf tournaments on the PGA Tour.
Spectators have many great memories of the course: Tom Watson chipping in on hole No. 17 as Jack Nicklaus watched, Jack Nicklaus hitting a 1-iron at the flagstick on hole No. 17 in 1972, Tiger Woods winning in 2000 coming from seven strokes behind with spectacular shots.
Also, the Pro Am lets the spectators see celebrities and athletes from other sports playing the course. Bill Murray is a favorite of the fans.
Jim Nantz, popular golf commentator, who lives adjacent to the Pebble Beach course, has listed his favorites for the Women’s Open: Lydia Ko, 2022 LPGA player of the year; Minjee Lee, defending U.S. Open champion; Jin Young Ko, who last week broke a 13-year-old LPGA record for being No. 1 on the Rolex Ranking for 159 weeks; Nelly Korda and Brooke Henderson. However, his pick to win the tournament is tour rookie Rose Zhang.
Zhang is the most heralded female golfer in the past 40 years. She has won almost every amateur event she has entered. She won the 2022 and 2023 U.S. Amateur, the 2023 Augusta National Women’s Amateur, and 12 college tournaments at Stanford (more than Tiger Woods). She was the first woman to win back-to-back NCAA Championships.
Zhang also won the 2022 Carmel Cup amateur event played at Pebble Beach with a second-round score of 63, setting the women’s course record at Pebble Beach. She held the top position in the Women’s World Amateur rankings for 141 consecutive weeks.
Last month, Zhang won the first LPGA event she played in since turning professional, beating seasoned golf professional and major champion Jennifer Kupcho in a two-hole playoff at the Mizuho American Open.
Stacy Lewis, Solheim Cup captain, has already approached Zhang about possibly being on the Solheim Cup team in September. The United States team could use Zhang’s help to win its first Solheim Cup in six years.
The Women’s U.S. Open field has the best players in the game, both amateur and professional. For added excitement, Michele Wie, 2014 Open Winner, and Annika Sorenstam, 1995, 1996, and 2006 Open winner, are playing this year in the tournament on special invites. I can’t wait to watch this tournament and see the women’s game finally take its place in the golf world. It has been a long time coming.
Dr. Jean Harris is an LPGA Master Professional and teaches at local golf courses. jean.golfdoctor.harris@gmail.com; golfdoctorjean.com