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5 things we learned Thursday at the U.S. Women’s Open
There shall be no overstating the chaos and pathos of 2020. In that strange fashion that tragedy has, we’ve also been offered a glimpse into the new and the different. In the world of golf, that meant a men’s U.S. Open in September, a Masters in November, and this week, a women’s open in December.
To get the putt rolling, two courses at Champions Golf Club in Houston are in play, the first time this has happened in tournament history. Lack of light compelled the USGA to add this facet to the tournament. Beyond that, it’s all about the players and their feats of strength #Festivus.
Let’s check in on some #WomenWorthWatching and let’s #WatchWomenWork this week at the USGA Women’s Open. Here are five things that we learned on Thursday of the 75th playing of this national championship.
1. Olson leads the pack, thanks to one sweet swing
Amy Olson, a former USGA girls junior champion, took a pass at a 140-yard shot, and it disappeared. Teeing off on the back nine, the Minnesota native stood a +1 through six holes, thanks to a bogey at the 11th, her second on the day. That discrepancy went away when she holed her tee ball at the Cypress Creek course’s 16th hole, and moved to one under. The ace was the only one on the day over both courses, and was quickly followed by a birdie at the the next. Olson added additional stroke-savers at the 1st and the 8th, on her inward half, and reached four-under par. Olson wasn’t the only one to get that low, but she was the only one to stay there. With a game built for USGA courses, expect Olson to stick around for a few more days.
2. Khang and Saso fired and fell back
Yuka Saso was the latest to challenge Olson. The golfer from the Phillipines reached 4 under after nine holes at the Cypress Creek layout, but gave two shots back on the inward half. Khan got even farther, reaching five-under par after her 10th hole, on the Jackrabbit trace. Like Saso, her trek homeward was less than memorable. Khan made a pair of bogeys, then finished off the day with an miserable double bogey at the 18th. The Champions Golf Club courses will afford opportunities to pick strokes up, but it will be the ones that can get away that will determine a champion.
3. Jutanugarn is biggest name near top of leader board
Moriya, that is. Not sister Ariya, the 2018 US Women’s Open champion, but her one year-older sibling. Moriya sits at 3-under par, tied for second spot with Hinako Shibuno of Japan and A Lim Kim of Korea. Well, maybe Shibuno deserves the bigger-name nod. After all, she won the 2019 British Open, out of nowhere. What we’re saying is, after day one, there is a shortage of wattage on the marquee. Sung Hyun Park, Jennifer Kupcho, and the aforementioned Ariya are closest, each at 1-under par, in a tie for 12th. We suspect that Friday, rather than Saturday, will be moving day at this year’s national championship.
4. Who really struggled?
Maria Fassi did battle with Jennifer Kupcho at the inaugural Augusta Women’s Amateur in 2019. Today, she posted +12. Georgia Hall, the 2018 British Open titleist, signed for +10. Angela Stanford, last week’s winner and a Fort Worth native, struggled to a +9 tally. The hottest golfer on the planet, Denmark’s Emily Kristine Pedersen, played her final ten holes in +5 to drop to +4 (might have been jet lag?) Three amateurs (Pauline Roussin, Amelia Garvey, and Maja Stark) all recorded one-under rounds of 70, making the struggles of some, inconceivable. The Women’s Open identifies a new champion as often as it recognizes a storied one. This week might be one of the former, unless a lot happens, and soon.
5. Who lays in wait?
Have a look at the even-par crowd. Inbee Park, Nasa Hataoka, Lydia Ko, and three talented Spaniards (Iturrioz, Ciganda, and Muñoz) along with top amateur Gabriela Ruffels, posted scores of 71 on Thursday. The winner could easily come from that septet. We’ll go out on a limb and pick Danielle Kang, one shot farther back, at one-over par. Kang is the world’s top-ranked player, and doesn’t suffer over-par rounds gladly. Expect a tidy 67 on Friday, as her competitors struggle to match her exploits.
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Tour Photo Galleries
Photos from the 2024 RBC Heritage
GolfWRX is on site this week at Harbour Town Golf Links on Hilton Head Island for the RBC Heritage. Plenty of golfers who competed in the Masters last week will be making the quick turnaround in the Lowcountry of South Carolina as the Heritage is again one of the Tour’s Signature Events.
We have general albums for you to check out, as well as plenty of WITBs — including Justin Thomas and Justin Rose.
We’ll continue to update as more photos flow in from SC.
Check out links to all our photos, below.
General Albums
- 2024 RBC Heritage – Monday #1
- 2024 RBC Heritage – Monday #2
- 2024 RBC Heritage – Tuesday #1
- 2024 RBC Heritage – Tuesday #2
WITB Albums
- Justin Thomas – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Justin Rose – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Chandler Phillips – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Nick Dunlap – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Thomas Detry – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Austin Eckroat – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Xander Schauffele – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Jason Day – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Will Zalatoris – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Patrick Cantlay – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Ludvig Aberg – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Collin Morikawa – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Sam Burns – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Stephen Jaeger – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
Pullout Albums
- Wyndham Clark’s Odyssey putter – 2024 RBC Heritage
- JT’s new Cameron putter – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Justin Thomas testing new Titleist 2 wood – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Cameron putters – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Odyssey putter with triple track alignment aid – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Scotty Cameron The Blk Box putting alignment aid/training aid – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Cameron putter – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Odyssey Ai One Eleven T putters – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Christian Bezuidenhout – testing new Callaway Ti 340 mini driver – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Rory McIlroy testing the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Xander Schauffele testing the Callaway Ti 340 mini driver & the DUW – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Byeong Hun An, two new L.A.B. Golf putter builds with “T” alignment – 2024 RBC Heritage
See what GolfWRXers are saying and join the discussion in the forums.
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Jim
Dec 11, 2020 at 11:34 am
Any Olson is from North Dakota, not Minnesota.
Ronald Montesano
Dec 11, 2020 at 6:49 pm
See below
A golfer
Dec 11, 2020 at 10:33 am
“ Kang is the world’s top-ranked player” actually Kang is #4 on Rolex ranking and #3 on LPGA money list. Jin Young Ko is #1 on Rolex and Inbee Park is #1 on money list.
Ronald Montesano
Dec 11, 2020 at 6:49 pm
See below.
A golfer
Dec 11, 2020 at 10:29 am
“The ace was the only one on the day over both courses.” Actually Yu Jin Sung aced #4 at Cypress Creek
Ronald Montesano
Dec 11, 2020 at 6:50 pm
So you guys are saying I need an second set of eyeballs on my words, huh? Can’t dispute that. Hopefully the rest of the text was a bit more accurate. Thanks for pointing out the mistakes. Always can’t believe I made them in hindsight.