Only a few hours remain before the second major of the season kicks off on the women’s circuit. The US Women’s Open celebrates its 80th edition at the impressive Erin Hills Golf Club course. The legendary Wisconsin course, which hosted the men’s US Open in 2017, will be the venue for ten USGA championships from now until 2039, a full declaration of love for a course that has only been open to the public for 19 years.
The choice of Erin Hills is not just sentimental. The course is a true test. It can be stretched to the impossible, yet at the same time demands creativity, solid short game, and physical endurance. One of the course’s peculiarities is its length. The course is so long that the recommended time for a normal round of golf is 4 hours and 55 minutes. Interestingly, the target time for the first two rounds of the U.S. Women’s Open is 4:54, just one minute less… although, as the organisers themselves acknowledge, it will be quite a challenge to meet it if the wind comes into play.
In 2017, Brooks Koepka won the U.S. Open there with -16, a figure that did not please the purists. This time, the weather factor could play a very different role. The forecast points to rain on Wednesday and Thursday, and winds of up to 30 miles per hour on Friday, with a risk of thunderstorms.
“This course tests every part of your game,” explained the world number one, Nelly Korda. “It’s firm, fast, and demanding on every shot. Even the weather has a decisive impact.”
The American has wanted to pause at what is presumed to be the great challenge of this course. Korda has not hesitated to describe the par three of the 9th hole as “diabolical”, especially if the wind comes into play. She anticipates it will be one of the major critical points of this US Women’s Open: “It will be a very interesting test. It’s a short hole from the tee (barely 120 metres) but extremely demanding in every aspect. You don’t see the slope of the green until you’re on it,” explained the American, who even wondered how many groups will accumulate waiting for their turn on the tee.
Korda’s concern is not unfounded. In the 2017 men’s US Open, this same hole wreaked havoc in the final round when only four birdies were made among 68 players, while there were 20 bogeys, three double bogeys, and one triple. In total, the hole played with an average of 3.368 strokes, being the second most difficult on the course. The complexity lies in its elevated tee, numerous bunkers, a large but undulating green, and where reaching the green from the tee does not guarantee two putts.
The possibility of prolonged waits is reminiscent of what happened last year at the US Women’s Open in Lancaster, when Korda and her group had to wait almost half an hour to play the par 3 of the 12th hole. That pause ended with a disastrous 10 for the world number one, who ended up missing the cut. Now, with Erin Hills as the setting, history could repeat itself.
The course has not had it easy in recent months. An especially harsh winter and a recent hailstorm forced the maintenance team to work hard. They even resorted to a one-and-a-half-ton roller, normally used on roads, to level the greens after the depressions caused by the hail. The result is a course in optimal condition and ready for what is expected to be one of the most demanding editions of the U.S. Women’s Open.
The course still looks green, but don’t be fooled, conditions will be firm, greens fast, and a course as open as it is challenging, everything points to the players facing a true test… and a real race against the clock.
