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Henrik Stenson Leaves Players Field Way Back

Henrik Stenson’s final round 66 left the rest of the best field in golf adrift in a wake so turbulent no one could get within four shots of him. Beginning the day 5 shots back of leader Alex Cjeka, along with a host of other probables, maybes, could possibly be’s, and one Tiger Woods, Mr. Stenson missed a single fairway and made no bogeys all day. Good enough by any standards on a day when lots of folks were given a chance by the collapse of third round leader Mr. Cjeka. Before the day even began I would have bet my own money that the 54 hole leader’s 5 shot lead would be gone by the turn. I was wrong! Mr. Cjeka’s lead was done after six holes. He and playing partner Mr. Woods didn’t see much of each other on the first three holes, Mr. Woods hitting shots right while Mr. Cjeka hit his shots left.

Published

17 years ago

May 11, 2009

Eric Schuster

Ben Crane had the lead for a while, as did Retief Goosen and Ian Poulter when Mr. Stenson rolled in a birdie but from the fringe of the seventh green. By the time he walked off the ninth green, after a two putt birdie, Mr. Stenson had the lead to himself. At least nine other players had a shot at winning on the back nine, none however could match the play of the eventual winner. John Mallenger and Kevin Na tied for third, both shooting final round 70, behind second place Mr. Poulter. Jim Furyk had a chance, but ran out of holes in the end. Brian Davis had an eagle on the 9th hole to join the mix, but couldn’t keep pace.

Mr. Stenson kept hitting all the shots and making all the putts. “Pretty incredible,” Woods said. “He played great. We all know he’s got all the talent in the world to do this. It was just a matter of time before he put it together. To do it on this stage was pretty impressive.” The course was hard and fast, almost like a US Open without the ankle eating rough. On a couple of holes on the back nine Mr. Stenson hit 3 wood off the tee, without using a tee. He just bumped up a knob of turf, put the ball atop it, and whacked it forever down the fairway. Very impressive. An exhibition of quality golf on a very difficult course under a heap of big time pressure. It seemed at times like he was playing a completely different game from the rest of the contenders just because he was so in control of his game. No overt signs of stress, nothing hurried, just hit the ball, chase it, and hit it again.

“It just seems to bring the best out of me when I have to, playing the best players,” said Stenson, whose other U.S. victory came at the Accenture Match Play Championship two years ago. He also won in Dubai, finishing two shots ahead of Woods. “Obviously, now I feel like I’m up there where I belong when I’m playing good.” After winning $1.7 million and moving to number 5 in the world rankings, it’s not hard to feel that way. Probably because the reality is the truth of that statement, he does belong right where he is now.

Johnny Miller, early in the broadcast, asked if maybe Tiger Wood’s biceps were too big. The implication being that might be the reason he kept hitting the ball to the right. Strange thought even coming from Mr. Miller, whose thoughts are released vocally without passing through a filtration system. At first I thought there was some meaning behind the statement, then it occurred to me it was just Mr. Miller at his best. I don’t think any other announcer would make that remark. For that matter I don’t think any other announcer would have that thought. Good on you Johnny Miller, for thinking is noticeably absent in the commentators booths all too often these days.

News

5 Things we Learned: Thursday at the U.S.. Women’s Open

Published

21 hours ago

Jun 5, 2026

Ronald Montesano

Gone are the days when the U.S. Women’s Open was held at Scenic Hills or Churchill Valley. Fine courses that they are (or were, as Churchill Valley went bankrupt a decade ago) there is something to be said for the venue. Not all Women’s Open playings need to take place on Men’s Open venues, but some should. This week in Los Angeles, the Women’s Open visits Riviera Country Club for the first time. Down the road, we will visit Inverness, Oakmont, Interlachen, Oak Hill, Chicago Golf, and Merion. That is quite the murderer’s row (1927 Yankees reference) of golf clubs.

What can we expect from the 2026 tournament? Greatness and uncertainty. Unlike the PGA Tour, which visits Riviera each February, the LPGA does not, so the women will not have nearly the body of work over the George C. Thomas layout. Maybe that’s a good thing. Maybe they’ll play #10 smarter than the men do. Maybe they’ll figure some things out that their male counterparts can not. For today, we’ll try to find five things to learn, and share them with you.

First, this ain’t your momma’s U.S. Open course

How do we know? Well, so far, only one previous champion currently sits inside the top thirty. That would be Minjee Lee, the 2022 winner at Southern (NC) Pines. Lee made par on her first nine holes, the inward side at Riviera. She dropped birdie putts on the first and ninth holes (ten and eighteen for her day) and tallied another seven pars, for 69. She sits three shots off Jennifer Kupcho’s opening 66. Don’t worry about Kupcho; we’ll get to her. After Lee, defending champion Maja Stark ranks T30 at even par, joined by three other, former winners.

What Minjee did, is the sort of thing that wins U.S. Open titles. She guided her ship safely past swells, and made a move when the waters calmed. The fewer the bogeys, the more likely Minjee figures in the outcome on Sunday evening in Pacific Palisades. Off the tee, Lee was unmatched. She hit 14 of 14 fairways. Her iron play was a bit loose in comparison. She putted for birdie on 12 of 18 holes, which meant that her recovery short game was on point. Lee was ten yards longer on measured driving holes than the field average, and was below the field average (a good thing) in putting.

Second, the amateurs beat a loud drum

Three of the world’s top amateur golfer posted 70, placing them four off the lead, in a tie for 14th place. Canada’s Aphrodite Deng, Spain’s Paula Francisco Llaño, and Colombia’s Maria José Marin, showed the professional world that their game is strong. Both Deng and Francisco Llaño collected five birdies on the day. Should they match that output on day two, and minimize the foozles, they’ll be the topic of conversation on Saturday morning. Marin, the 2026 Augusta National Women’s Amateur champion and an NCAA team semifinalist last week, played a game similar to Minjee Lee: few mistakes and few taken risks.

The last amateur to post the low medal score for 72 holes was Jenny Chuasiriporn in 1998. She lost a playoff to Se Ri Pak, who matched her plus-six effort at Blackwolf Run. The last amateur to win the U.S. Women’s Open was Catherine Lacoste in 1967. The amateurs are stronger than they’ve ever been, but the professionals have not allowed them to close the gap. A victory by one of the college set would be a cannon shot heard round the world. Could it happen? Absolutely. Is it likely? Not at all.

Third, let’s talk Kupcho

Jennifer Kupcho won the inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur. She won three times on tour in 2022, including the Chevron, a major title. She won a fourth event in 2025, but has not established the winning credentials projected on her after 2022’s marvelous coming-out.

Kupcho hails from Colorado, and spent four years in the Carolina Piedmont, at Wake Forest Universtiy. Neither of those locales cries out I’ll be at home at Riviera, but here we are, after a seven-birdie performance. Kupcho posted birdie on each of her first three holes, and added four more (against two bogeys) to assume a one-shot advantage over Korea’s Sei Young Kim.

Kupcho drove the ball decently, approached moderately well, but putted lights out on Thursday. Her 26 putts were tied for best in show on day one. There might just be something about the putting surfaces at Riviera that aligns with Kupcho’s vibe. If that is the case, just get the ball on the green, anywhere, and let the flatstick do the lifting.

Fourth, how young is Sei Young?

Sei (pronounced “So”) Young Kim won a dozen times from 2015 to 2020. She took time off from winning until 2025, shen she captured a thirteenth LPGA title. Like Kupcho, Kim has hardware from one major event, the 2020 Women’s PGA Championship. How to explain the five years away from victory? No idea. When Sei Young was in contention during the prime of her career, the outcome was a foregone conclusion.

What to expect over the next three days at Riviera? Anyone’s guess. It might be the 2015-2020 Sei Young, or it could be the 2021-2025 version. Kim began her day with birdies at 10 and 11, then settled into a stretch of pars before her solitary bogey at the 4th (her 13th) hole. Kim regained her composure and reeled in three birdies to close the front nine. Her four-under performance trails Kupcho alone, and there is a real chance that Sei Young will produce a second score in the 60s and take a bit of control of the tournament.

Fifth, we’re giddy for Gaby

Although I cannot place my finger on why, it seems that each year, Gaby Lopez pops up on the U.S. Open leaderboard. She hasn’t figure out how to remain in contention, but here we are, in 2026, and Lopez is once again in the mix. The three-time champion on the LPGA circuit had a stunning first nine holes, turning in minus-five. She reached six deep at her tenth hole, but then gave three shots back coming home. Which Gaby will show up on Friday, and for how long? If back-nine Gaby can somehow channel front-nine Gaby, all outcomes are within reach. If the loose play continues, Lopez’ wiki page will add one more T41 to her majors column.

Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open

Published

3 days ago

Jun 3, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

GolfWRX Tour Photographer made the trip from the Memorial Tournament across the country to the U.S. Women’s Open at Riviera. Check out links to all the photos below!

General Albums

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 Memorial Tournament

Published

4 days ago

Jun 1, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

GolfWRX is on site this week at the Memorial Tournament, with both Alistair Cameron and Tour Photographer Greg Moore on the ground in Dublin, Ohio, where a strong field is assembled to pay homage to the Golden Bear.

In addition to WITB galleries, we’ve already been treated to an in-hand look at Tommy Fleetwood’s new TaylorMade Spider putters.

Check out links to all our photos below.

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WITB Albums