Last year the USA made history by playing both the men’s and women’s U.S. Open’s on the same course in back to back weeks. This year the USGA went back to its normal routine with different weeks and venues and the truth is the courses couldn’t be more different.
The men played on a baked out, extra firm, mostly brown links layout that many players labeled ridiculous.
There will be none of that this week.
The Lancaster Country Club, hosting its first U.S. Women’s Open is an old school course that’s as green as green can be and there’s no brown to be found anywhere.
Originally built in 1920 and designed by William Flynn the parkland layout is the polar opposite of Chambers Bay.
Traditional holes with traditional bunkers that will play much longer that the 6406 yards listed on the score card.
Rain has softened the course to the point where there is little roll off the tee making it that much longer for the women. With showers and thunderstorms possible all week it may be difficult for the USGA to get that firm, fast setup that they prefer.
But the length isn’t the only obstacle these women will have to deal with.
The traditional U.S. Open rough is back and it’s deep and wet. And the greens have plenty of contours and slopes to make pars cherished.
2007 U.S. Open Champion Cristie Kerr loves the course. “I think this is a spectacular golf course. I look back on the last four or five Opens that we’ve had, and this is my favorite that I’ve had in the last three to five years. Very classic, old school golf course. It’s playing long, because it’s a little soft from the rain. I actually like that. I don’t really particularly like a golf course which is so short and too easy. I think that this is a great golf course for a U.S. Open. The greens are big enough, not really big, very tilty. You have to be smart with your caddie and with yourself about where you leave shots into the greens, or if you miss a shot you better have the right club in your hands because you need to have a chance to get up and down for par. So I think this is a great golf course, and as the week goes on, could firm up, could play a little bit shorter, but you could get storms here this time of the year, as well. I really like this course. I played it in an outing a year ago and also a couple of weeks ago. So I think it’s a great test.”
Former world number one Lydia Ko says fairways will be one of the keys this week. “You don’t really want to be missing many fairways here. Just because of the rain, it’s definitely going to be more stickier, more grabby in the rough. Got to keep to the fairways, got to keep to the greens. Even if you hit the greens, it’s going to be tough putts, because they’re quite undulated. I just have to position myself well.”
Stacy Lewis, who thinks she has found her game recently says this isn’t Pinehurst No.2. “Yes, it’s very different from last year. The golf course is really soft with all the rain and there’s a ton of grass on it, so the greens probably aren’t as quick as we would like them. But it’s still going to be a challenge. The rough is long. It’s wet. It’s sticky. I think off the tee and especially into some of the greens, you’ve got to be able to hit shots, hit some fades, hit some draws. I think it’s going to favor more of a left-to-right shot overall, so I think that sets up for my game really well. And then putting, you know, at any U.S. Open you have to putt well. You have to make some 4- and 5-footers. And they’re going to have a ton of break to them, but you’ve got to make them.
Lancaster’s 18th
Morgan Pressel acknowledges the need to find the fairways,” The rough is extremely thick. There were a couple of times I dropped golf balls in the rough yesterday and you were lucky if you could get the club on the back of it” but has spent plenty of practice time on the tricky greens. “I’ve definitely spent a lot of time practicing my putting all around these green complexes. They’re quite subtle, but also fast, especially back to front on certain holes. It’s important to know where to leave the golf ball on some of these greens so that — even things like the potential power lip-out that you could get that you could end up with five feet coming back after you’ve hit a really good putt. There’s a lot of things with these greens that my caddie and I have been studying, been working hard. I spent a lot of time on the putting green yesterday practicing even putts from five feet that might break a foot, because you could potentially have that out here. So I’m sure they’re going to get a little bit quicker as the week progresses. You drive for show, putt for dough. You’ve got to make the putts to win championships.”
Paula Creamer who has had good luck in Pennsylvania with her ’10 Open win at Oakmont loves USGA setups, “I like golf courses where you can use all clubs in your bag. That’s the reason why we have 14. And when you get the opportunity to do that, it separates everybody. I like the challenge. I think that the USGA does a great job of setting up golf courses. I’m playing in U.S. Junior, Women’s Ams, and now U.S. Opens, you kind of see the trend. And they’ve definitely fooled me before and I’ve bitten for their bait many times and I’ve learned those lessons. But it’s a fun week.”
Fun yes, but she thinks the greens will decide the winner,”The pin placements I think is going to be the biggest challenge. Some of those greens, there’s just only a couple of spots that you can actually use. And missing the ball in the right spots is going to be big. Fairways are very generous, but this is the first time in a long time we’ve actually had a lot of thick rough to think about and play with. Especially when you miss greens, that’s going to be a huge challenge of being able to get up and down.”
To a player they all are impressed with the course but with a course that plays longer than the card, deep and is lined with thick rough and tricky greens the winner will certainly earn her victory.
Stacy Lewis says it well, “You know, I think this golf course is going to test everything. I think the big thing is getting in the fairway. The fairways are pretty generous, but you still have to get it in the fairway. With a wet golf course, you have to — if you’re hitting out of the rough, it’s going to make it harder because you can’t run anything up. Hitting the fairways and then putting well. Putting well wins any golf tournament, let alone a major.”
Yes, it usually does.
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