Hello friends and happy Thursday from Lancaster Country Club. It’s my second day onsite, and while all golf courses look extremely difficult to me, the site of this week’s U.S. Women’s Open looks particularly tough. The greens are fast, the rough and the scores are high. It’s quite a test for the best players in the world.
Before we get into what’s going on with the golf, I want to give a shout out to the lovely city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. I was (unfairly) not expecting much from it, and it is a great area. I’ve gotten a lot of recommendations for restaurants (and more importantly, ice cream spots) and everything has been top-notch. I’m a big fan of the downtown area and am looking forward to doing some more exploring as the week goes on.
Nelly predicts catastrophe on the 12th hole
The biggest story from the morning wave at the U.S. Women’s Open was definitely Nelly Korda’s 10 on the par-3 12th, a hole she has spoken about in her press conference on Tuesday. The World No.1 explained just how tricky the hole can be, and if you’re not in the right spot, you’ll “get screwed.” My colleague, Jack Hirsh, also perfectly explained what makes the hole so difficult.
As I write this, there have been 41 penalty shots on the par-3 12th. By the time you read this, I bet there will be even more!
Korda may not have played well, but the fans at Lancaster Country Club didn’t mind one bit. She had a few hundred people following her all day, and many shouted words of encouragement as she walked by.
Korda headed right from her post-round interview to the range, where she relaxed for a few minutes before getting back to work with her coach Jamie Mulligan (who in my opinion, is one of the best-dressed guys in golf. He’s always in head-to-toe Lululemon with Nike Blazers, which is the perfect athleisure for a day on the course.)
Heartfelt moments
Something I’ve noticed a lot of this week is how wide the age range of fans is here at the U.S. Women’s Open. I’ve seen babies being pushed in strollers and I’ve seen people in their 90s shopping at the merchandise center. There are little kids everywhere, and it’s not just parents bringing their daughters. I was told about a group of young boys cheering their hearts out for Nasa Hataoka, and I met a four-year-old boy who was so excited to watch Nelly Korda over an ice cream cone (relatable!).
I’ve seen a lot of great young fan content this week, but my favorite so far has been this photo from Amanda Balionis, which shows Danielle Kang sharing her snacks with some future U.S. Women’s Open stars.
How cute is that? Ten years from now, those gals will still remember the cool player who offered them an apple slice in the middle of her practice round.
Shirt of the day
I saw a lot of great scripting out on the course today, but Meg Adkins captured the best shirt in the field today.
May her golf game take her to infinity and beyond.
Claire Rogers
Golf.com Editor
