As we head into the second women’s Major of the year, the US Women’s Open at Lancaster Country Club in Pennsylvania, the question that everyone is asking is, “Can Nelly Korda make it 7 out of 8 titles in a row?”
World No 1 Korda is one of my 5 picks, but golf can sometimes destroy the best players when they’re least expecting it, especially on such a demanding course that is going to test every aspect of a player’s game.
There’s also a Major at stake and record prize money of $12m, so who can handle the pressure down the final stretch? Here are my picks of the players I expect to be challenging for Major glory and the impressive US Women’s Open trophy.
Nelly Korda
Nelly Korda is riding an incredible wave right now. Having had some brief time off to recharge, she’s relaxed coming into the tournament and at ease to know she has her full team on hand this week if there is any reason she needs to iron out her swing.
Korda has an incredible golf game, but her mindset is where she excels, having the ability to stay in the present, which is such a valuable asset, especially when the stakes are high. If she can remain comfortably in her bubble, there is no reason to believe that she cannot continue this remarkable run of form and win her second Major title this year.
Hannah Green
Australian Hannah Green has won two LPGA titles this year and is consistently knocking on the door, most recently losing to Nelly Korda earlier this month by one shot at the Mizuho Americas Open. It could be her time to win big if she can drive the ball straight off the tee and avoid the penal rough.
Green ranks 1st on the LPGA stats for putts per green in regulation (1,73) and has a putting average of 29.21, so her putting skills could prove to be very beneficial on the small and undulating greens.
Charley Hull
After two-time runner up spots in Majors in 2023 and five second-place finishes overall, I believe, and hope, that this is the year that Charley Hull makes it across the line to Major glory. She’s had a relatively quiet start to the season, just two top-10 finishes, but Hull always seems to up her game when it comes to Majors.
Like Korda, Hull is a big hitter and her strength and creative play gives her the ability to scramble, which is testament to her ranking 3rd in greens hit in regulation. If she can focus and keep it together for four rounds, this could be her first Major title.
Brooke Henderson
In my opinion, Brooke Henderson doesn’t get the recognition she deserves. The Canadian has won 13 LPGA Tour titles in total including two Major championships, so she knows how to get the job done. Let’s also remember that she competed in the 2015 US Women’s Open when it was last held at Lancaster Country Club and achieved her best finish in the tournament, tying in 5th place, so the course must suit her game.
Aside from the last two events, Henderson has performed well this year, claiming 5 top-10 finishes, and one of her three third place spots came at the previous Major, the Chevron Championship.
Rose Zhang
It was Rose Zhang who ended Nelly Korda’s five-tournament winning streak earlier this month at the Cognizant Founders Cup, denying Korda’s feat of becoming the first player in LPGA history to win six consecutive starts.
Zhang is an amazing young talent, as witnessed on her way to winning her second LPGA title when she birdied four of the last five holes. From fairway to green, she’s very consistent, and ranks 4th in scoring average at 70.13. She withdrew from the last tournament due to illness, but if she finds her form, I believe the 21-year-old American is in the running to clinch her first Major title.
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