The post Michelle Wie West announces U.S Women’s Open encore at Riviera appeared first on Golf.

The post Michelle Wie West announces U.S Women’s Open encore at Riviera appeared first on Golf.

Three years ago, at the U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach, Michelle Wie West rolled in a 30-foot birdie putt to cap off her competitive career. 

After her round that Friday along Stillwater Cove, she was asked if she might tee it up again someday down the line if her daughter Makenna asked to see her play. 

“You know, you never say never, but a very slim chance probably,” Wie West said that day at Pebble Beach. 

But three years later, it appears Michelle Wie West has one more tournament in her after all. 

On Tuesday, Wie West announced that she plans to play in the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open at Riviera Country Club on June 4-7. 

“With one final year of eligibility from my victory in 2014 and the Championship headed to an iconic venue that means so much to me, I am excited to announce that I’ll be teeing it up at the U.S. Women’s Open at Riviera in June!” Wie West wrote on Instagram.

Despite not playing a competitive tournament for three years, Wie West is eligible to tee it up at Riviera based on the 10-year exemption from her 2014 U.S. Women’s Open win at Pinehurst No. 2. Wie West’s timeline was extended for two years due to a maternity exemption. Wie West and her husband, Jonnie West, welcomed their son Jagger in October of 2024. 

At Pebble Beach in 2023, Wie West played her final two rounds with Annika Sorenstam, who was also saying goodbye to the tournament that week. 

Wie West had Jonnie on that bag that week, with Makenna in a stroller outside the ropes. She shot consecutive 79s but soaked in every moment of a special week that was supposed to close the book on her competitive career. 

“I’ve definitely held back tears the entire round,” Wie West said after her Friday at Pebble. It was fun. It was great to have my last round here at Pebble Beach.

“Nothing has changed and everything was changed all at once. It’s definitely a strange and surreal feeling right now.” 

That feeling sent her off into competitive retirement. She said she still loved golf and planned to play recreationally with her husband and family. But she believed her competitive career was over. She cracked the door open with an announcement that she plans to compete in the WTGL when it launches this fall. Now she’ll be returning to green-grass golf, too.

“Last year I had this in the back of my mind, and I don’t have another one of these in the back of my mind,” Wie West said. “It’s definitely a strange feeling.”

As it turns out, Michelle Wie West does have one more U.S. Women’s Open in her. She’ll have her U.S. Women’s Open encore at Riviera, and then she’ll say goodbye. 

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The post USGA releases qualifying sites for 2026 U.S. Women’s Open at Riviera appeared first on Golf.

The post USGA releases qualifying sites for 2026 U.S. Women’s Open at Riviera appeared first on Golf.

The 2026 U.S. Women’s Open is being held at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif., for the first time ever, and if you want to be a part of the championship’s illustrious history, now is your chance to choose from 26 different qualifying sites, which were released by the USGA on Wednesday.

Unlike the U.S. Open, which requires a two-part qualifier for the men (18-hole local and 36-hole final), U.S. Women’s Open hopefuls compete in just one 36-hole qualifier to determine their fate.

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The 26 qualifying sites are spread across 17 states, with one site each in Canada, England and Japan. Qualifying will take place between April 20 and May 13, 2026. Online entry applications are open now, with a deadline of Wednesday, April 1, at 5 p.m. ET. In order to play, entrants must be professionals or carry a Handicap Index no higher than 2.4. Hopefuls can register to qualify at champs.usga.org.

While winning the U.S. Women’s Open as a qualifier is extremely unlikely, it has happened before. Birdie Kim won the U.S. Women’s Open at Colorado’s Cherry Hills Country Club in 2005 after advancing through qualifying. And at last year’s U.S. Women’s Open at Erin Hills in Erin, Wisc., there were 11 total qualifiers who ended up making the cut, including Hailee Cooper, who tied for seventh.

You can browse the list of 2026 U.S. Women’s Open qualifying sites below.

2026 U.S. Women’s Open Qualifying Sites (26)

Monday, April 20 (2)
Galveston (Texas) Country Club
Boso Country Club, Chiba Prefecture, Japan

Monday, April 27 (3)
Arizona Country Club, Phoenix, Ariz.
Sugar Mill Country Club, New Smyrna Beach, Fla.
Corral de Tierra (Calif.) Country Club

Tuesday, April 28 (3)
Rolling Hills Country Club, Monroe, N.C.
Meadowbrook Country Club, St. Louis, Mo.
Rainier Golf & Country Club, Seattle, Wash.

Monday, May 4 (1)
New Albany (Ohio) Country Club

Tuesday, May 5 (2)
Piedmont Driving Club, Atlanta, Ga.
Shannopin Country Club, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Wednesday, May 6 (2)
Wilderness Country Club, Naples, Fla.
Springfield (Va.) Golf & Country Club

Thursday, May 7 (1)
Somerset Country Club, Mendota Heights, Minn.

Friday, May 8 (1)
Honolulu (Hawaii) Country Club

Monday, May 11 (8)
The Vancouver Golf Club, Coquitlam, B.C., Canada
Briar Ridge Country Club, Schererville, Ill.
Buckinghamshire Golf Club, London, England
Marlborough (Mass.) Country Club
Essex County Country Club, West Orange, N.J.
Rancho Santa Fe (Calif.) Golf Club
Richmond (Calif.) Country Club
Streamsong (Fla.) Resort (Black Course)

Tuesday, May 12 (1)
Walnut Creek Golf Preserve, Westminster, Colo.

Wednesday, May 13 (2)
Bermuda Dunes (Calif.) Country Club
Cross Timbers Golf Course, Azle, Texas

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The post 2025 AIG Women’s Open Friday TV coverage: How to watch Round 2 appeared first on Golf.

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The 2025 AIG Women’s Open continues on Friday morning with the second round at Royal Porthcawl. Here’s everything you need to know to watch the tournament on Friday, including full AIG Women’s Open TV coverage, streaming info and Round 2 tee times.

How to watch AIG Women’s Open on Friday

After the opening round at the final women’s major of the year, two players share the top of the leaderboard in Wales.

Japanese pros Rio Takeda and Eri Okayama shot matching five-under 67s at Royal Porthcawl on Thursday to tie for the lead.

Chevron Championship winner Mao Saigo shot a 69 to get within two shots of the early lead. Meanwhile, World No. 1 Nelly Korda had a solid start herself, shooting a two-under 70 as she hunts for her first major title of the season. World No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul is tied with Korda at two under.

Rookie phenom Lottie Woad, fresh off wins at the Irish and Scottish Opens, shot an even-par 72 on Day 1.

You can watch the second round of the AIG Women’s Open on TV via USA, which will air coverage beginning at 7 a.m. ET on Friday. Peacock and the NBCSports.com will provide additional streaming coverage.

Below you will find everything you need to know to watch the second round of the 2025 AIG Women’s Open.

How to watch on TV Friday

USA will air second-round TV coverage of the 2025 AIG Women’s Open from 7 a.m.-2 p.m. on Friday.

How to stream online Friday

You can stream Friday’s second round of the 2025 AIG Women’s Open via Peacock and NBCSports.com

2025 AIG Women’s Open Round 2 tee times (ET)

Tee No. 1

1:30 a.m. – Casandra Alexander, Minami Katsu, Linnea Strom
1:41 a.m. – Lindy Duncan, Sayaka Takahashi, Alice Hewson
1:52 a.m. – Jenny Shin, Pauline Roussin-Bouchard, Gemma Dryburgh
2:03 a.m. – Anna Nordqvist, Akie Iwai, Helen Briem
2:14 a.m. – Rio Takeda, Miyu Yamashita, Patty Tavatanakit
2:25 a.m. – Esther Henseleit, Chanettee Wannasaen, A Lim Kim
2:36 a.m. – Georgia Hall, Jennifer Kupcho, Darcey Harry
2:47 a.m. – Jin Young Ko, Madelene Sagstrom, Megan Khang
2:58 a.m. – Ayaka Furue, Jinhee Im, Linn Grant
3:09 a.m. – Lydia Ko, Lilia Vu, Lottie Woad
3:20 a.m. – Hyojoo Kim, Celine Boutier, Yealimi Noh
3:31 a.m. – Ariya Jutanugarn, Nelly Korda, Angel Yin
3:47 a.m. – Haeran Ryu, Steph Kyriacou, Auston Kim
3:58 a.m. – Stacy Lewis, Pajaree Anannarukarn, Alexandra Forsterling
4:09 a.m. – Carlota Ciganda, Mimi Rhodes, In Gee Chun
4:20 a.m. – Dasom Ma, Chiara Tamburlini, Narin An
4:31 a.m. – Shinsil Bang, Bronte Law, Carla Bernat (a)
4:42 a.m. – Mi Hyang Lee, Nastasia Nadaud, Meja Ortengren (a)
4:53 a.m. – Pei-yun Chien, Diksha Dagar, Soo Bin Joo
5:04 a.m. – Kristen Gillman, Hira Naveed, Mary Liu
5:15 a.m. – Yuri Yoshida, Perrine Delacour, Morgane Metraux
5:26 a.m. – Emma Spitz, Amelia Garvey, Anna Foster
5:37 a.m. – Cassie Porter, Dewi Weber, Marta Martin
5:48 a.m. – Haeji Kang, Maria Hernandez, Brianna Do
6:15 a.m. – Sophia Popov, Shannon Tan, Cara Gainer
6:26 a.m. – Dongeun Lee, Lauren Walsh, Anna Huang
6:37 a.m. – Shuri Sakuma, Wei Ling Hsu, Aline Krauter
6:48 a.m. – Somi Lee, Shiho Kuwaki, Liz Young
6:59 a.m. – Hinako Shibuno, Mao Saigo, Allisen Corpuz
7:10 a.m. – Nasa Hataoka, Sarah Schmelzel, Gaby Lopez
7:21 a.m. – Sei Young Kim, Ashleigh Buhai, Yuka Saso
7:32 a.m. – Jiyai Shin, Chisato Iwai, Ingrid Lindblad
7:43 a.m. – Andrea Lee, Amy Yang, Leona Maguire
7:54 a.m. – Ruoning Yin, Grace Kim, Brooke Henderson
8:05 a.m. – Maja Stark, Lauren Coughlin, Hye Jin Choi
8:16 a.m. – Jeeno Thitikul, Minjee Lee, Charley Hull
8:32 a.m. – Hannah Green, Rose Zhang, Jeneath Wong (a)
8:43 a.m. – Gabriela Ruffels, Albane Valenzuela, Paula Martin Sampedro (a)
8:54 a.m. – Ina Yoon, Julia Lopez Ramirez, Alexa Pano
9:05 a.m. – Nataliya Guseva, Olivia Cowen, Lydia Hall
9:16 a.m. – Lucy Li, Sora Kamiya, Kirsten Rudgeley
9:27 a.m. – Manon De Roey, Sara Kouskova, Saki Baba
9:38 a.m. – Nanna Koertz Madsen, Jungmin Hong, Moriya Jutanugarn
9:49 a.m. – Yani Tseng, Weiwei Zhang, Paula Reto
10:00 a.m. – Jenny Bae, Eri Okayama, Ilhee Lee
10:11 a.m. – Yan Liu, Arpichaya Yubol, Karis Davidson
10:22 a.m. – Miranda Wang, Elizabeth Szokol, Alessandra Fanali
10:33 a.m. – Brooke Matthews, Momoka Kobori, Laura Fuenfstueck

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The 2025 AIG Women’s Open kicks off Thursday morning with the first round at Royal Porthcawl. Here’s everything you need to know to watch the tournament on Thursday, including full AIG Women’s Open TV coverage, streaming info and Round 1 tee times.

How to watch AIG Women’s Open on Thursday

We’ve arrived at the final women’s major of the year, with the entire field looking to close out major season in style by lifting the Women’s Open trophy in Wales.

Despite dominanting the world ranking all season, the world’s three top-ranked golfers are majorless so far in 2025. World No. 1 Nelly Korda and World No. 3 Lydia Ko have maintained their positions due to strong play but have come up short in the biggest tournament this year.

World No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul has one LPGA win this season, but she has never won a major.

All three are hoping that changes this week at Royal Porthcawl, and the action gets underway early Thursday morning.

You can watch the first round of the AIG Women’s Open on TV via USA, which will air coverage beginning at 7 a.m. ET on Thursday. Peacock and the NBCSports.com will provide additional streaming coverage.

Below you will find everything you need to know to watch the first round of the 2025 AIG Women’s Open.

How to watch on TV Thursday

USA will provide first-round TV coverage of the 2025 AIG Women’s Open from 7 a.m.-2 p.m. on Thursday.

How to stream online Thursday

You can stream the first round of the 2025 AIG Women’s Open via Peacock and NBCSports.com

2025 AIG Women’s Open Round 1 tee times (ET)

Tee No. 1

1:30 a.m. – Sophia Popov, Shannon Tan, Cara Gainer
1:41 a.m. – Dongeun Lee, Lauren Walsh, Anna Huang
1:52 a.m. – Shuri Sakuma, Wei Ling Hsu, Aline Krauter
2:03 a.m. – Somi Lee, Shiho Kuwaki, Liz Young
2:14 a.m. – Hinako Shibuno, Mao Saigo, Allisen Corpuz
2:25 a.m. – Nasa Hataoka, Sarah Schmelzel, Gaby Lopez
2:36 a.m. – Sei Young Kim, Ashleigh Buhai, Yuka Saso
2:47 a.m. – Jiyai Shin, Chisato Iwai, Ingrid Lindblad
2:58 a.m. – Andrea Lee, Amy Yang, Leona Maguire
3:09 a.m. – Ruoning Yin, Grace Kim, Brooke Henderson
3:20 a.m. – Maja Stark, Lauren Coughlin, Hye Jin Choi
3:31 a.m. – Jeeno Thitikul, Minjee Lee, Charley Hull
3:47 a.m. – Hannah Green, Rose Zhang, Jeneath Wong (a)
3:58 a.m. – Gabriela Ruffels, Albane Valenzuela, Paula Martin Sampedro (a)
4:09 a.m. – Ina Yoon, Julia Lopez Ramirez, Alexa Pano
4:20 a.m. – Nataliya Guseva, Olivia Cowen, Lydia Hall
4:31 a.m. – Lucy Li, Sora Kamiya, Kirsten Rudgeley
4:42 a.m. – Manon De Roey, Sara Kouskova, Saki Baba
4:53 a.m. – Nanna Koertz Madsen, Jungmin Hong, Moriya Jutanugarn
5:04 a.m. – Yani Tseng, Weiwei Zhang, Paula Reto
5:15 a.m. – Jenny Bae, Eri Okayama, Ilhee Lee
5:26 a.m. – Yan Liu, Arpichaya Yubol, Karis Davidson
5:37 a.m. – Miranda Wang, Elizabeth Szokol, Alessandra Fanali
5:48 a.m. – Brooke Matthews, Momoka Kobori, Laura Fuenfstueck
6:15 a.m. – Casandra Alexander, Minami Katsu, Linnea Strom
6:26 a.m. – Lindy Duncan, Sayaka Takahashi, Alice Hewson
6:37 a.m. – Jenny Shin, Pauline Roussin-Bouchard, Gemma Dryburgh
6:48 a.m. – Anna Nordqvist, Akie Iwai, Helen Briem
6:59 a.m. – Rio Takeda, Miyu Yamashita, Patty Tavatanakit
7:10 a.m. – Esther Henseleit, Chanettee Wannasaen, A Lim Kim
7:21 a.m. – Georgia Hall, Jennifer Kupcho, Darcey Harry
7:32 a.m. – Jin Young Ko, Madelene Sagstrom, Megan Khang
7:43 a.m. – Ayaka Furue, Jinhee Im, Linn Grant
7:54 a.m. – Lydia Ko, Lilia Vu, Lottie Woad
8:05 a.m. – Hyojoo Kim, Celine Boutier, Yealimi Noh
8:16 a.m. – Ariya Jutanugarn, Nelly Korda, Angel Yin
8:32 a.m. – Haeran Ryu, Steph Kyriacou, Auston Kim
8:43 a.m. – Stacy Lewis, Pajaree Anannarukarn, Alexandra Forsterling
8:54 a.m. – Carlota Ciganda, Mimi Rhodes, In Gee Chun
9:05 a.m. – Dasom Ma, Chiara Tamburlini, Narin An
9:16 a.m. – Shinsil Bang, Bronte Law, Carla Bernat (a)
9:27 a.m. – Mi Hyang Lee, Nastasia Nadaud, Meja Ortengren (a)
9:38 a.m. – Pei-yun Chien, Diksha Dagar, Soo Bin Joo
9:49 a.m. – Kristen Gillman, Hira Naveed, Mary Liu
10:00 a.m. – Yuri Yoshida, Perrine Delacour, Morgane Metraux
10:11 a.m. – Emma Spitz, Amelia Garvey, Anna Foster
10:22 a.m. – Cassie Porter, Dewi Weber, Marta Martin
10:33 a.m. – Haeji Kang, Maria Hernandez, Brianna Do

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The post Maja, Nelly and Spotted Cows: 25 thoughts from the U.S. Women’s Open appeared first on Golf.

The post Maja, Nelly and Spotted Cows: 25 thoughts from the U.S. Women’s Open appeared first on Golf.

JUST FEET FROM THE WHITNALL PARK GOLF COURSE GRILL, Wis. — I’m home. 

I grew up in Milwaukee. I taught myself how to play golf here, and I learned how to type words about playing golf here, making for a week where I worked in the present as part of our U.S. Women’s Open team, but couldn’t help but look back into the past. As I spent the past six days at Erin Hills, the memories hit harder than a Maja Stark tee shot. Ooh, there’s a friend from high school. Ooh, there’s a Packers hat. Ooh, that smells like bratwurst. 

Ooh, there are kiddos just like I once was. 

Sort of. Growing up here in the ’90s, we had the Greater Milwaukee Open for our pro golf, and while the GMO will forever be remembered as the site of Tiger Woods’ pro debut, it always came during a funky part of the year (around the Open Championship), few stars came (Woods never returned) and it eventually died. But now? Over the past couple decades, thanks to courses like Erin Hills and Whistling Straits, Wisconsin’s seen it all. U.S. Opens, plural. PGA Championships, plural. A Ryder Cup. Good stuff. 

But is it all gone?

Last week’s USWO will be the last major here for maybe a while. On the USGA side, the men are booked solid through 2042 (!) and are gravitating toward just a few sites, while the women don’t have an opening until 2037. On the PGA side, the tournament’s move to May hurts — it would be hard to hold a tournament here at that time, unless you like your golf as cold as the custard at Culver’s. Has Wisconsin had its fair share? You betcha, in the words of the state natives. But shouldn’t there be at least one on the horizon? Yah, fer sure. Hometown pride is certainly part of the thought, but the events here have spiked every important metric, especially this past week. 

As we look back at the U.S. Women’s Open week that was, let’s make that observation No. 1 then. We’ll try for 24 more, and, to help the mood, we’ve stationed ourselves at Whitnall Park, a member of the Milwaukee Country Parks golf course family — and where I once took great advantage of the $5 twilight rate and learned what a beverage cart is. The grill is also open, and we’ll be sure to investigate.  

2. Let’s talk Stark. Her game’s complete. She may be headed to superstardom. But what struck me the most was her approach, which she talked about in her Saturday night press conference (and which I focused my Sunday story on):

“I’ve just been telling myself that when I get nervous over shots, I just tell myself, OK, but how can I make myself proud right now? I make myself proud by sticking to my routines, sticking to my key swing thought, and I think that calms me down and it makes me feel like I’ve done everything that I can and that I can control. If the wind gusts up, then that’s fine and I’m going to end up in a bad spot, but hopefully our strategy is good enough that we don’t end up in that many bad spots.”

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3. Stark impressed on Erin Hills’ greens, which confounded most of the field. She’s ranked 112th in the LPGA this season in strokes gained: putting — and was 10th at the USWO. Work with coach Joe Hallett helped. 

“He said that on my short putts I tend to be — if it’s for par, I tend to be a little bit too curious, like I just look at the hole too much and I end up open with my shoulders and my face,” Stark said. “I’m left eye dominant, so if I just look at the hole like that, then I end up seeing the line too far to the right. So he just said kind of tilt your head and just make sure that your shoulders are aligned.”

4. Another swing tip also clicked. 

“During the practice days, I realized that, if I just kind of hovered the club above the ground a little bit before I hit, I released some tension in my body,” Stark said. “I think that just doing my processes well and knowing, giving myself little things like that was the key this week because I don’t really think that — I don’t really want to rely on my confidence for stuff.”

5. An unfortunate scene unfolded on the 72nd hole as Stark’s playing partner, Julia Ramirez Lopez, struggled on her way to a triple-bogey eight, leading to a lengthy wait for Stark and caddie Jeff Brighton — and a question: How did they pass the time?

Jokes, Stark said. As for what kind, Brighton said this:

“It’s just just shite. I mean, I just waffle. Just you try and get their head away from looking, oh, gosh. I would say Maja is quite an intense player. You know, she tries really hard. She’s really competitive. So when you’re intense, you try just to get their head away from golf, the last shot, the next shot, and just, it’s a long, long time out there.”

6. And Brighton said just this as to what the celebration would like:

“Carnage.”

7. Don’t worry much about Lopez Ramirez, who finished tied for 19th. She has plenty of game. She’ll win events, plural.

8. A scene late Sunday afternoon near the practice green was great. Lopez Ramirez signed for anyone who wanted a signature, took pictures and handed out gear.    

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9. Let’s talk Nelly Korda, who tied for second. Should our focus be more that she beat or tied all but one player — or the fact that she wasn’t the one at the top. A lot is expected of Korda, though rightfully so — she’s her sport’s best player. I’ll argue this is another step. Majors are hard to win. 

10. And anyone can win them. Over the past 11 majors, there have been 11 different winners — Stark, Mao Saigo, Lydia Ko, Ayaka Furue, Amy Yang, Yuka Saso, Korda, Lilia Vu, Celine Boutier, Ruoning Yin and Allisen Corpuz.   

11. Time for a Whitnall story. I’ve written about it in this space before, but since I’m here and just yards from where it happened, I want to share it again. 

My dad played just two rounds of golf his entire life, and the second came during an end-of-the-year, father-son, nine-hole scramble for my high school golf team. To set this story up, all you must understand is that my dad, while not much of a golfer, was very much a gambler. And we were paired up with a buddy and his dad — who was a member at a country club. We played eight holes. They beat us on eight holes. But dad had a thought on the ninth:

“Loser buys drinks.”

They were in. Of course they were. Then, I kid you not, my dad smoked a drive. Two-hundred-and-seventy-five yards. Which was maybe two-hundred-and-seventy-four more than he had hit all day. It gets better. After we dumped our approach into a greenside bunker, and with the other dad and son not in sight, dad went hand wedge. You knew that was coming. It gets better. I hit my sand shot closer, though. And dad made the par putt. And they somehow bogeyed. 

And the man playing his second-ever round of golf got a beer.

12. I’d never been to Erin Hills before this week, but the vision to make it a major-worthy course was clear. Thoughtful layout. Wonderful facilities. The drive from Milwaukee — about a half-hour — was manageable. 

There’s seemingly room in the area for more, too. 

13. Here’s Angel Yin on Erin Hills:

“A lot of land. We got a lot of land. That’s America. (Here, she laughed). So that’s what I was thinking.”

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I’d watch every second of an Angel Yin YouTube channel. 

14. One of my favorite quotes of the week came when A Lim Kim was asked how she got the nickname ‘Queen.”

“That’s a secret,” she said, laughing. “My original nickname is ‘Queen Kong.’ Do you know King Kong? So when I was young, I hit far. So everybody told me, yeah, ‘King Kong,’ but I don’t like full name, so just ‘Queen.’”

Good to know.

15. One of my favorite stories of the week was the comeback of Yani Tseng, a five-time major winner who battled yips for a while before the right-hander turned to putting left-handed, entered qualifying and earned a spot in the field.

Here’s Tseng on what her low point was:

“There are so many low points. It has been quite a journey. But I think this journey, like standing here, is not just about a tournament. It’s a journey, it’s a growth, it’s a gratitude. It’s everything that I have coming from not just nine years. My last win was 2012, I think. It’s quite a long time ago. But like I say, I love this game. 

“I don’t know where that passion comes from, but every time I fell down, I feel like I need to get back up, I need to do this. I don’t know who I’m proving to, but maybe I want to prove it to myself, too. I want to see what I can do. I want to bring out the best version of myself, and I didn’t know if that’s winning another tournament or that’s like top 10 for another tournament. I don’t know what outcome will come, but I feel like once I can bring out the best version of myself, then I feel that will be very good.”  

16. One of my favorite sights of the week was spotting the bag of Leta Lindley at the short-game area — on Sunday, two days after the 53-year-old missed the cut. Still grinding. 

17. Let’s try to predict the rest of the year’s major winners:

– PGA: Korda. 

– Evian Championship: Linn Grant  

– Open: Charley Hull  

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18. This was also great. Hailee Cooper, a 25-year-old pro who’s played mostly on the developmental circuit, tied for seventh and earned $358,004, which brought this response:

“I walked out and they go, do you want to see the money? I was like, sure, and I walked up and I immediately started crying when I saw the numbers. I’m like, oh, gosh, there are six of them. So it’s awesome. It’s life-changing, for sure. It makes professional golf a lot easier financially now so it will be really nice.”

19. Here are a few of my favorite reads this week from the on-site GOLF.com staff. From my batch, I spent the week as a member of Team Gemma Dryburgh and told her story in light of an existential question women pros face. 

20. From Sean Zak, a look at Erin Hills was a favorite. 

21. Time for a brat and a beer. Speaking of, Zak is also a Wisconsinite, and I like his assessment of Spotted Cow.

“The sign of a true Wisconsin wedding. If they’re offering Spotted Cow at the wedding you’re at, it’s going to be a good one.” 

22. From Zephyr Melton, this review of Korda’s Sunday was a favorite.   

23. From Claire Rogers, this look at Stark’s celebration was a favorite.  

24. Our “Seen and Heard” franchise is excellent. You can watch the USWO episode, shot by Emma Devine, here. 

25. Lopez Ramirez’s third shot on 18 brought colleagues Sean Zak and Claire Rogers on to NBC which you can see below: 

26. Time to go hit some balls. 

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Welcome back to the Monday Finish, where Scottie Scheffler leads by four. To the news!

Editor’s note: To get the Monday Finish in your email every Monday (plus a magazine subscription and a bundle of other screaming deals) sign up for InsideGOLF here.

GOLF STUFF I LIKE

An all-time great on a current great.

Scottie Scheffler won his second consecutive Memorial Tournament on Sunday and while there are 1,000 stats, shots and stories that could sum up the ways in which that’s impressive, I was most struck by the way Jack Nicklaus, tournament host and 18-time major champ, talked about Scheffler post-round. Older generations of athletes can be dismissive of new waves, but Nicklaus seemed intent on proving the opposite. He raved about Scheffler’s game, and included the highest compliment of all: that it reminds him of his own.

The two sat beside each other for Scheffler’s winner’s press conference, which turned into a fascinating dynamic of Scheffler as humble winner (“It’s always special being able to come here and play Mr. Nicklaus’ tournament”) and Nicklaus as his hype man.

“Ben Griffin’s a nice player. Sepp Straka is a nice player. Nick Taylor is a nice player,” Nicklaus said. “[Scottie] knows that those guys are not in his league.”

At one point Nicklaus fielded a couple of Scheffler’s questions for him.

“I’ll answer for you,” Nicklaus said after Scheffler was asked about his killer instinct. “He doesn’t want to brag about what he does. But he has the ability to bring his level to whatever level it needs to be. That’s what good players do. And, you know, he’s not a good player. He’s a great player. I mean, look at the record that he has had the last few years. It’s unbelievable.”

Then Nicklaus said two particularly interesting things in two sentences:

“He reminds me so much of the way I like to play. I don’t think I played nearly as well as he played,” Nicklaus said. “He’s playing better than I played and more consistent. He’s just been playing fantastic, and I love watching him play. Whether it’s here or on the television or whatever it is, I love to watch. Anytime he’s playing, I want to watch.”

That’s a remarkable observation — not just that Scheffler plays like Nicklaus but that, according to Nicklaus, he’s playing at a higher level.

By the end, they were finishing each other’s sentences talking about another great: Tiger Woods, who has won this event more than anybody.

“One thing I think Tiger was really good at was bringing that level of intensity to each and every shot,” Scheffler said.

“On Thursday,” Nicklaus interjected.

“Hungry,” Scheffler added.

“Started the tournament with it,” Nicklaus agreed.

“That’s something I always tried to emulate,” Scheffler said.

And so on.

So what’s it like for Scheffler to sit there and hear this from Jack?

“It’s really hard to put into words what it’s like sitting up here with arguably the greatest player of all time and we’re sitting here talking about stuff that I did today on the golf course. It’s a pretty weird feeling,” he said.

An all-time great appreciating a current great — that’s golf stuff I like.

WINNERS

Who won the week?

Maja Stark won the U.S. Women’s Open thanks to a relentless performance at Erin Hills; the first title on U.S. soil for the 25-year-old Swede was the biggest in the game. She’s now up to No. 6 in the world.

Scottie Scheffler’s Memorial win was the 16th PGA Tour title of his career and came just three years, three months and 19 days after his first win — just sixteen days behind Tiger Woods’ time span and two months behind Nicklaus’.

Nicolai Von Dellingshausen won the Austrian Alpine Open for his first DP World Tour title, completing a journey back to the top of the tour after he’d lost his card two seasons ago.

Trace Crowe won by five at the Korn Ferry Tour’s UNC Health Championship; it’s the second KFT title for Crowe, a 28-year-old Auburn grad who’s from Raleigh, N.C. and won this week at Raleigh Country Club.

NOT-WINNERS

But still winners.

Ben Griffin finished solo second a week after winning the Charles Schwab, Sepp Straka finished solo third two starts after winning the Truist, and Nick Taylor finished solo fourth, his best result since winning the Sony Open in January.

Rickie Fowler played his way into this summer’s Open Championship thanks to a T7 finish at Memorial, taking full advantage of a sponsor exemption. Fellow sponsor invitee Brandt Snedeker shot a Sunday 65, the round of the day, to improve from T38 to T7 and jump 69 spots on the FedEx Cup list in the process. Whether that’s proof that sponsor exemptions work when properly deployed or are proof that sponsor exemptions are anti-meritocratic and far too powerful is a debate we’ll wage another day.

SHORT HITTERS

Five notes of note from the U.S. Women’s Open.

1. Maja Stark’s eyes popped when she was informed that the U.S. Women’s Open’s winner’s check is for $2.4 million. “I didn’t even know that,” she said. What will she do with the money?

“Maybe move out of my studio apartment. That could be one thing. I don’t know … I’m very happy with what I have in my life right now. Having the security for the future, I think I’ll just be very happy about that.”

2. Nelly Korda finished T2, two shots back, which she described as a “heartbreaker” of a result but was a victory of sorts, too; it’s her best result in a tournament that has beaten her up. Last year she was in the midst of a historically good season when a 10 on a par-3 led to a missed cut and “definitely put a dagger into my heart”, she said. This year, though?

“I just need to continue knocking on the door, and hopefully it will open.”

3. The top 10 finishers from this year’s USWO earn an automatic berth in next year’s event. Playing in the final group, Julia Lopez Ramirez needed par at 18 to remain inside that crucial number and made 8 instead. The other side of the coin? Several groups ahead, Hailee Cooper had gotten up and down from 46 yards to earn a top 10, a return trip to this tournament a “life-changing” check for $358,004. Our Sean Zak had more.

4. Kiara Romero was in last place after a third-round 84. Then the 19-year-old amateur, with nothing to lose, shot a final-round 67, the lowest final-round score for an amateur in tournament history.

5. An absolutely bizarre story involved Amari Avery, whose week started with a promising 1-under 71, turned for the worse after an attempted break-in at her rental home and got downright strange when her boyfriend accidentally grabbed the wrong travel bag, leaving with her clubs instead. Avery ended up borrowing the clubs of Gabi Ruffels for her Friday round just a couple hours after Ruffels had played them in the morning round; Avery made ’em work and shot 73 to cruise inside the cut line. Her own sticks in hand, she shot 76-76 on the weekend to finish T45 — but she’ll leave with a heck of a story.

ONE BIG QUESTION

What’s up with Ben Griffin’s glasses?

The universal experience of watching Ben Griffin on TV is that when he pops onto the screen, somebody in the room will inevitably ask, “so what’s up with his sunglasses?” On Saturday he offered an insightful (and comprehensive) answer:

“I see floaters. I have really bad vision,” Griffin said. “So about a year ago is when I started seeing floaters, went to an eye doctor, realized my retina was starting to kind of try to detach itself. I had retinal holes, so I had to go get basically laser surgery to fill in those holes. I had eight retinal holes in both eyes, so I was at risk of losing vision maybe within five or six months had I not gotten the treatment. So I still see the floaters, I had to get the surgery just to maintain my level. Because of that, when I wear sunglasses it’s a little bit darker out, so I don’t necessarily see the floaters as well. So if it’s really bright out and I’m not wearing the sunglasses, I look into the clouds or whatever and I see black stuff everywhere.”

Griffin added that he thinks there’s an additional benefit of the shades, which he identified as Uswing Mojings (the same type Phil Mickelson debuted several years ago): improved green-reading.

“They say the science behind ’em kind of helps with green-reading and I think it’s 100 percent true. I love the ability to see the contrast a little bit better, than when it’s really bright it’s kind of hard to see maybe grain changes from time to time. So seeing contours is definitely a little bit easier I think with the sunglasses.”

How does he feel about the glasses as his iconic look?

“I guess I’m getting to the point where I have more and more fans and people like it, so I’m not going to stop wearing ’em, that’s for sure.”

ONE SWING THOUGHT

From Maja Stark.

How’d a player without a ton of confidence in her game win a testing U.S. Women’s Open?

“I don’t really think I ever felt that my confidence was great. I think that I just stopped trying to control everything, and I just kind of let everything happened the way it happened,” Stark said post-victory. How’d she do that? She stuck to her processes, listened to her comedian caddie and added one interesting chill-out move:

“During the practice days, I realized that, if I just kind of hovered the club above the ground a little bit before I hit, I released some tension in my body,” she said.

RYDER CUP WATCH

The next American tier…

The Memorial had nearly endless U.S. Ryder Cup subplots, particularly on the margins. Russell Henley (sixth in the ranking) had been scuffling and MC’d at the Masters and PGA but earned a ton of points with a T5. Mav McNealy finished T5 alongside him and moved up to No. 8 after a few weeks of slippage. Griffin made the biggest move, jumping to No. 7 thanks to his runner-up finish. The group finishing T7 was particularly compelling, as it included U.S. captain Keegan Bradley (now 16th in the ranking) and human rollercoaster Jordan Spieth (still just 25th) plus Tom Hoge (quietly 14th). Harris English and Patrick Cantlay finished T12; they’re Nos. 9 and 12 in the ranking, respectively.

On the European side, Sepp Straka moved up to No. 3, where he’s a lock for the team. There wasn’t a ton else to report, with a bunch of Euros playing well without shifting the balance of the team (Aberg T16, Fleetwood T16, MacIntyre T20, Lowry T23, Hovland T25).

TEAM USA RYDER CUP RANKINGS

1. Scheffler 2. Schauffele 3. DeChambeau 4. Thomas 5. Morikawa 6. Henley 7. Griffin 8. McNealy 9. English 10. Novak 11. Harman 12. Cantlay 13. Spaun 14. Hoge 15. Berger

TEAM EUROPE RYDER CUP RANKINGS

1. McIlroy 2. Lowry 3. Straka 4. R. Hojgaard 5. Hatton 6. Fleetwood 7. Rose 8. Aberg 9. Detry 10. Wallace 11. Norgaard 12. MacIntyre 13. Hovland 14. Olesen 15. Canter

Full standings here.

ONE THING TO WATCH

Scott’s celebration.

There’s nobody doing things quite like Scottie Scheffler’s caddie, Ted Scott, who seems to be some sort of winning savant, delivered a pre-round sermon on Sunday and finished out his day like this:

NEWS FROM SEATTLE

Monday Finish HQ.

I spent a few days at the Memorial and won’t comment on rumors that I averaged more than a milkshake per day from the clubhouse, other than to say that Oreo is a great start to any combo. Also, if you spend enough time standing on the driving range with a milkshake in hand you will get heckled by players and coaches alike as to what, exactly, your “job” is. I’m just hoping my bosses don’t start asking the same thing.

We’ll see you next week.

Dylan Dethier welcomes your comments at dylan_dethier@golf.com.

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The post Maja Stark puts her faith in 1 word. Here’s how it won her U.S. Women’s Open appeared first on Golf.

The post Maja Stark puts her faith in 1 word. Here’s how it won her U.S. Women’s Open appeared first on Golf.

ERIN, Wis. — Maja Stark confused her friends. 

A day earlier, she’d turned philosophical. How would she fight obvious jitters during Sunday’s U.S. Women’s Open final round, where she’d start ahead by two strokes? Through pride. And how do you make yourself proud? Stark offered that it was by sticking to her routines and sticking to her swing thoughts, thus controlling all you could control. Deep stuff. Only when asked about it a day later, two of her closest confidants were a bit flummoxed. 

“I don’t know exactly what it means,” Ingrid Lindblad said of pride playing. 

“Ooh, I don’t know what she would think that that is,” Linn Grant said. 

Late Sunday afternoon, everyone knew what it equaled — Stark’s your newest USWO champion, after her even-par round of 72 gave her a two-shot win over Nelly Korda and Rio Takeda at Erin Hills. And afterward, she said she was a woman of her word to her thought. Maybe you spotted it, too. For some two-and-a-half hours across the final nine, her pride was as abundant as the Spotted Cow beers here. 

3:27 p.m. local time: On 10, Stark’s lead had dropped to one. At 3:38, there was a sticking-to-a-swing-thought. There was the pride. While reading a putt for birdie, she made what looked like a bowling motion with her hand, the move seemingly mimicking what the ball would look like traveling toward the hole. Putting’s been a bug-a-boo of late for her; she said her coach, Joe Hallett, said she tends to peek at the hole early. At 3:41, she made a shortie and fist-pumped. 

3:54: On 11, she led by three, after a birdie and a Korda bogey ahead. A greenside leaderboard told the score. Hold that thought, please. 

4:13: There was a sticking-to-a-routine. There was the pride. To the right of the tee box on the par-3 13th, some ice cubes rattled in the nearby cooler. Playing partner Julia Lopez Ramirez was spooked. Stark wasn’t. Iron to the green. At 4:22 p.m., you could hear TV drones buzzing overhead. No matter. Stark parred. Up ahead, Korda birdied, and the Stark lead was down to two again. 

4:31: This was smart. Six days earlier, one-time Solheim Cup teammate Gemma Dryburgh talked about the beauty of the par-5 14th hole. On the second shot, you could play a shot right of a mound about 100 yards short of the green in an attempt to reduce yardage — but the best angle into the green was actually just going with the bit longer left option. Stark, a longer hitter, went right. She birdied. Up three. 

4:45: This was interesting. Jim “Bones” Mackay, a longtime caddie now doing on-course analysis for the broadcast, walked over and asked if Stark had looked at any leaderboards yet. It didn’t appear she had — and Mackay stared her down to check if she would read one left of the 14th green. She didn’t. 

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4:49: Folks were noticing. To the left of the 15th fairway, a volunteer charting driving yardage earlier in the week had returned as a fan, and he’d noticed Stark’s approach. Unflappable. A Thursday 70. A Friday 69. A Saturday 70. Nothing hot. Nothing cold. Goldilocks golf. But to Stark, her play had been a surprise — she said entering the week, her confidence wasn’t great, after no wins on the LPGA since her first, in 2022. More swing thoughts. “During the practice days,” she said. “I realized that if I just kind of hovered the club above the ground a little bit before I hit, I released some tension in my body. I think that just doing my processes well and knowing, giving myself little things like that was the key this week because I don’t really think that — I don’t really want to rely on my confidence for stuff.”

4:56: The correspondent slipped down a hill. No one saw. 5:07: The correspondent obliged a youngster wanting a high-five along the ropes. His day was made.

5:09: Seventeen, a testing par-4. Things seemed over at least to a volunteer, who asked another volunteer: “Can we leave now?” Not yet! Stark’s tee shot sailed left, forcing just a punch-out second shot. Back to routine, though. Stark hit to 22 feet, two-putted and bogeyed — while Korda bogeyed 18, and the separation remained three. 

5:37 – 5:48: A wait. Poor Lopez-Ramirez. After Stark was greenside in three, her playing partner struggled around the green and ended up with a triple-bogey eight. The details will be spared, except these: To pass the time, Stark listened to her caddie, Jeff Brighton, tell jokes. Care to share, Maja? “I don’t remember right now. He will do like several holes that I will say a joke over or a story, and it’s great because it kind of makes me focus on what he’s saying instead of how I’m feeling and stuff.” Hmm. What did you say, Jeff? “It’s just just shite. I mean, I just waffle. Just you try and get their head away from looking, oh, gosh. I would say Maja is quite an intense player. You know, she tries really hard. She’s really competitive. So when you’re intense, you try just to get their head away from golf, the last shot, the next shot, and just, it’s a long, long time out there.”

5:53: Up three on the 72nd hole, Stark putted for bogey from 13 inches away. Here’s routine for the final time. Here’s pride for the final time. She wiped the face of her putter before putting, a la like Brooks Koepka, who won himself a U.S. Open crown on this course eight years ago. Stark was then a winner, too. 

Afterward, she spoke with pride of joining Annika Sorenstam and Liselotte Neumann as the only Swedish winners of the Open; Sorenstam face-timed her on 18 after the picture proceedings. The 25-year-old Stark is a one-time winner on the LPGA circuit, and has won six times on the Ladies European Tour, but an Open crown moves you into superstardom, or at least into some new digs and a cellphone-plan upgrade. Stark said she wouldn’t know what she’d do with the $2.4 million awarded to the winner, though she said she’d maybe move out of her studio apartment — and be able to call home; in the celebration on 18, her parents had wanted to call her, but Stark declined, saying it cost too much.

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But there’d be a celebration.

There, there would be no confusion. 

And very likely no routine or thoughts. 

But a ridiculous amount of pride.

And booze. 

“Carnage,” Brighton said.

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ERIN, Wis. — Hailee Cooper and Julia Lopez Ramirez have crossed paths plenty of times. There were all those SEC tournaments, with Cooper at Texas A&M and Lopez Ramirez starring at Mississippi State. There was the Augusta National Women’s Amateur in 2023, with Lopez Ramirez ranked 2nd in the amateur world, and Cooper 101st. There was even this week, through the winding out-and-back nature of each of Erin Hills’ nines, at the U.S. Women’s Open. Cooper grinded to make the weekend, and when she did there was Lopez Ramirez, one shot ahead and two groups behind her on Saturday.

These intersections happen all the time. On the driving range, you say hello, you pass them by, you see them down the road. But everyone is on a different journey. Every tournament means something different.

On Saturday, Cooper and Lopez Ramirez diverged. On Sunday, they came together again, but in the most fascinating way.

When Lopez Ramirez found the 1st fairway in her final round, it seemed all of Erin Hills leaned in her direction. She’s the longest hitter in the field, playing this long-hitter’s delight of a course. With an abnormally wide, powerful stance, she launched a tidy draw. This is the game we’ve come to know her by. Despite being a pro for just 200 days, she’s been one in the making, winning those SEC championships. Two of them. She made major cuts as an am and then breezed to her LPGA Tour card through Q-School. She’s just 22 years old, and at 23, she might be on the next Solheim Cup team. On the 1st, though, she tapped in for a missed-opportunity par. 

“She was saying at the beginning of the day, nerves are nerves,” said Lopez Ramirez’s caddie, and former college coach, Lauren Whyte. “It doesn’t matter if it’s for the SEC Championship or the U.S. Open. It feels the same in your body.”

Sunday was not her day.

Cooper, meanwhile, was six groups ahead. On the 4th hole, she eased in a short one for her third birdie of the day. Her path to get here was a bit windier. She made major cuts, too, but was never a top 60 amateur. She won an SEC Championship, but as part of a team, not an individual. She’s 25 and hasn’t cracked the LPGA yet, living on its developmental circuit — the Epson Tour. Tournament payouts are often measured in thousands, but after a week of expenses, rewarding your caddie, booking travel home — and later on, taxes! — it can be whittled down to hundreds. 

Cooper made 12 starts on the Epson Tour last season, where 11 made cuts and three top 10s bank you $58,300. Is that a living wage, after all those reductions? Ask her accountant. But Sunday was her day. Cooper made six straight pars through the meat of the round and added another pair of birdies before facing a 46-yard up-and-down on the 72nd hole. It wasn’t captured on the broadcast or social media. This shot is one of those mostly anonymous strikes that will exist in her golfing mind for a long time. On a sloping green that gave players fits all day, Cooper pitched it to six inches, made birdie and vaulted herself to an eventual tie for seventh. Oh, and the biggest payday of her life: $358,004. After signing her card, a USGA official stepped in to deliver the news. 

“I walked out and they go, do you want to see the money?” Cooper said. “I was like, sure. I walked up and I immediately started crying when I saw the numbers. I’m like, Oh, gosh, there are six of them.”

Three digits left of the comma. Only pro golfers (and perhaps their caddies, their parents or their partners) really know what that means. Every Sunday, the golf-viewing public launches Google to learn how much Scottie Scheffler earned for his latest win. For him and most of the male pros we see on TV, it all goes into a bank account they rarely look at. The way Cooper talked about those digits, you know she knows her banking username, her password, her pin, maybe even the routing number.

“It’s awesome,” she continued. “It’s life changing for sure. It makes professional golf a lot easier financially now, so it will be really nice.”

Scheffler cleared $4 million, for the record. And he’d tell you it’s not about the money. It’s never about the money. Lopez Ramirez said the same. 

If she were any less promising, or any less competitive, or any less driven to just make a great score, it would be natural for Lopez Ramirez to be thinking about money on Sunday, especially how things went down. She started the day in solo second, which cashes $1.2 million. A digit left of the second comma. But it all quickly unraveled. She followed that par on the first with a poorly executed chip on the second. She added poor tee shots on the third and fourth, letting air out of the balloon quickly. She made just one birdie on Sunday in a round that passed by in grindingly slow fashion. She was two under on the week, one shot worse than Cooper with her ball in a greenside bunker on 18. If you were watching, you saw the car crash begin.

Lopez Ramirez bladed her bunker shot over the green, into a crowd and the USGA’s temporary scoring tent. She shorted her pitch from there, falling off the side of the green. Her fifth came up short of the green and rolled back down to her feet. The sixth shot made it on, the seventh cozied up to the hole. The eighth was a tap-in for triple bogey and a one-over total: 68-74-68-79. When Maja Stark’s friends rushed the green, Lopez Ramirez got caught in the worst kind of champagne shower.

No one stopped to tell her the amount she made fresh out of scoring. It was $138,804, which is still the largest sum of her young career, by a factor of six. Instead, the only stop she made was a two-minute chat with a reporter, who was curious what she might be pocketing this week that isn’t so literal. Turns out she had something in mind before the day even began.

“Being in the last group in a major, that’s one of my biggest achievements,” she said. “It’s still an achievement for me, you know? Even if it wasn’t completed, it was definitely there. I learned a lot about myself and what my golf is going to be.”

And so, our young pros left Erin Hills at different times and in different moods. In the end, they were separated by four shots. Next week, the difference will be measured in thousands of miles, back on their own journeys. Lopez Ramirez heads to play in New Jersey and Cooper heads home to Texas. The next U.S. Women’s Open is 51 weeks away, but already taking shape. Thanks to her top 10 finish, Cooper has a spot in the field. Thanks to that 18th hole, Lopez Ramirez does not. Not yet.

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The post Maja Stark’s clubs: Inside her U.S. Women’s Open-winning setup appeared first on Golf.

Maja Stark finally has her breakthrough win on the LPGA Tour, holding off Nelly Korda and Rio Takeda to win the 2025 U.S. Women’s Open at Erin Hills.

Stark was in full control of her game this week, but specifically her ball striking, where he gained 6.72 shots on the field on approach and hit three-quarters of her greens, good for fourth and T8 in the field, respectively.

Interestingly enough, Stark is one of the few players using an OEM-designed shaft, the Ping AWT 2.0, in her irons. Of all the major OEMs, Ping is the only one that even offers shafts, but many pros end up gaming them.

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However, in her driver, Stark turns to the hottest aftermarket shaft in the game right now with the Fujikura Ventus, specifically the Blue 5-S profile. Ventus is the most popular shaft on the PGA Tour this season, winning the total counts in 24 of 25 events, and clearly that success is translating to the women’s game.

She also uses the Ping G430 MAX 10k driver, which was released last year, but it remains one of Ping’s inline drivers and is its most forgiving. The driver is still winning professional events, most recently by Ben Griffin last week.

Stark also won in her first week since switching to a new Titleist Vokey WedgeWorks 58L lob wedge. The low bounce L-Grind option was likely crucial around Erin Hills’ tightly mowed, links-style fairways, and she gained more than 1.5 strokes around the green for the week. She was also tied for third in sand saves, getting up and down three out of four times.

Keep reading below for Stark’s full specs.

Maja Stark’s winning clubs at the 2025 U.S. Women’s Open

Driver: Ping G430 MAX 10k 9 @ 9.5˚, Fujikura Ventus Blue 5-S (45.5″ EOG, Tipped .5″, D2)

PING G430 Max 10K Custom Driver

The G430 MAX 10K is PING’s straightest and highest MOI driver to date, eclipsing the 10,000 g-cm2 combined moment of inertia threshold first surpassed by the G400 MAX five years earlier. FIXED BACK WEIGHT The fixed back weight allows for the record-setting MOI as it drives mass down and back to increase forgiveness and optimize the center of gravity position. LARGER HEAD PROFILE PING’s biggest head profile to date maximizes the USGA-allowable heel-toe and front-back dimensions while staying within the 460cc volume limit. This eye-pleasing shape helps square the golfer to the target and inspires the confidence to hit longer, straighter tee shots.

$599.99 $449.99 from Fairway Jockey

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ALSO AVAILABLE AT: PGA Tour Superstore

Fujikura Ventus Blue Wood Shaft (Previous Gen)

  The Fujikura Ventus Blue utilizes a Tour-inspired profile and the first to include Fujikura’s all new VeloCore Technology in an accelerated taper, ultra stiff tip profile. Designed to tighten the shot dispersion and ball speed especially when the shot is off-centered. Maximum energy transfer from the tip section boosts the clubhead’s performance and a straight taper design enhances loading and feel. Available in the following models: 6, 7, and 8. You can buy the Fujikura Ventus Blue with the adaptor sleeve of choice built to your required specifications. Product Features: The Fujikura Ventus Blue is ideal for the player looking for a mid launch, low spin shaft that was designed to significantly tighten shot dispersion and maximize ball speed especially on off-center shots. Read the Ventus Blue full review and specs for more information. Engineered to significantly tighten the shot dispersion and maximize ball speed, especially on off center hits. Increases velocity and smash factory with it’s VeloCore Technology (multi-material based construction that delivers through transition and impact) Ventus Blue delivers a Mid launch with Low spin

$350.00 from Fairway Jockey

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3-wood: Ping G430 MAX 15 degrees @ 15.5˚, Graphite Design Tour AD-XC 6 Stiff (43″ EOG, Tipped .5″, D0+) 

4-hybrid: Ping G430 22 degrees @ 21˚ (Lie: 59.5˚), Ping Tour Chrome 2.0 85 Stiff (40.75″ EOG, D2) 

Irons: Ping Blueprint S 4-PW, Ping AWT Stiff

PING Blueprint S Custom Irons

Developed following extensive testing with PING’s top tour pros to meet their “must haves” — control and precision — Blueprint S delivers the score-lowering performance demanded by the best players in the world. COMPACT SHAPE The compact shape fits the discerning eye with a thin top line and minimal offset. The 8620 carbon steel head boasts a clean cavity design, distinguished by an eye-catching forged textured pattern and hydropearl 2.0 chrome finish. PRECISION POCKET FORGING This patented forging technique allows PING to forge a pocket into the cavity of the 3, 4 and 5 irons. The pocket saves 10 grams of weight, which is re-allocated to increase the MOI and optimize the center of gravity position for more distance and trajectory control.

$221.50 from Fairway Jockey

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Wedges: Ping S159 (50S, 54S), Titleist Vokey WedgeWorks (58-04L), Nippon Modus 3 105 Wedge

PING s159 Custom Wedge

With the addition of two grinds and new lofts, the tour-style s159 wedges are available in 25 loft/grind combinations to match a wedge to your playing conditions and technique while ensuring a properly gapped set. Extensive testing with top PING tour players helped create wedges that will appeal to golfers of all abilities. The new WebFit Wedge app provides a quick and easy way to determine the s159 grinds that best fit your game. Tour-Proven Design The tour-inspired 8620 carbon steel head features a soft feel and clean shape with a straighter lead edge for improved results on full shots. Two performance-enhancing finishes (Hybropearl 2.0 Chrome and Midnight) are available in all loft/grind combinations. More Grooves. More Spin. Wheel-cut grooves are precision-milled to varying dimensions, depending on loft. The 46-to-52-degree wedges are milled to maximize groove volume for greater control on full shots. The 54-to-62-degree options feature more tightly spaced MicroMax grooves to impart more spin, especially around the greens.

$179.99 from Fairway Jockey

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Putter: Ping Anser 2 (33.875″, 3.5˚ loft, 71˚ lie), Ping PP58 grip

Grip: Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 White

Golf Pride Tour Velvet

The modern-day grip standard. Tour Velvet is the perfect blend of state-of-the-art rubber and a one-of-a kind plus sign texture for all-around playability. The ultimate combination of comfort and performance is what makes Tour Velvet the most popular grip in golf today.

$6.49 from Golf Pride

Ball: Titleist Pro V1

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The post The best moments that followed Maja Stark’s U.S. Women’s Open win | Rogers Report appeared first on Golf.

The post The best moments that followed Maja Stark’s U.S. Women’s Open win | Rogers Report appeared first on Golf.

Hello friends, and happy Sunday from the U.S. Women’s Open, where I have been marked “safe” from Julia Lopez Ramirez’s approach shot on the 72nd hole.

I write to you all as I enjoy a slice of pizza in the media center here at Erin Hills at the end of a superb week of golf on a beautiful golf course. I usually leave most U.S. Opens (see: Lancaster, Newport and Pinehurst in 2024) and think about how I’d really like to live in that area, and I mean it when I say that I am a massive fan of Erin Hills and the surrounding neighborhoods. I’ve also become a fan of cheese curds and local ice cream this week as well.

But enough about me. Let’s get into all of the action and the incredible performance from the champion, Maja Stark!

Waiting for the champion

One of my favorite moments of major championships (and all golf tournaments) is when players stick around to watch a competitor and friend sink the winning putt. Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy’s embrace after the 72nd hole at the Masters was my favorite moment of the week, and I felt the same excitement watching Linn Grant and Ingrid Lindblad eagerly wait to embrace their friend on the green.

Stark’s family watched the U.S. Women’s Open from back home in Sweden, so I can only imagine how much it meant for her to have some pals there to see her win. They showered Stark with champagne and water moments after she drained the winning putt.

The winning interview

Every so often, really good golfers will either do or say something that’s extremely relatable, and that’s exactly what Maja Stark did in her winning interview with Cara Banks on Sunday evening. When asked what the greatest test at Erin Hills was this week, here’s what Stark had to say:

“I think it’s probably the greens because the USGA just loves to make it hard for us and loves to put pins on little ridges, and they look scary. You’ll see it’s into the grain to the hole, and then with the grain after the hole, so you know, just seeing that the whole week, I’m so tired of them.”

Ok, sure. So she definitely handles major championship greens way better than the rest of us ever could, but who among us has not been exhausted after a long, tough day (or week) out on the course?

Stark also admitted she struggled with confidence coming into this week:

“I mean, it feels so surreal. It felt like it was so far away just a couple a weeks ago, and just last week, my confidence was so low and just last week I had a friend tell me, you need to be confident and you need to trust yourself. That’s what I tried to do, to make myself and everyone on my team proud.”

Stark doubled down on this during her winning press conference as well:

“Before this week, I was worried that I wasn’t really going to play decent golf for a while because it felt like it was so far away. So this just feels huge.”

So while you’re probably not very close to winning a major championship, this is a good reminder that you’re probably closer than you think to that lofty golf goal of yours, whether it’s breaking 100 or 80 or maybe just three-putting a lot less.

The winning caddie

Jeff Brighton has only been on Maja Stark’s bag for a few weeks, but he’s no stranger to being on the bag. He used to caddie for Colin Montgomerie and Bronte Law, and he looked right at home as he threw on Mike Whan’s cheesehead (it’s a Wisconsin thing) and accepted the winning caddie award.

Turns out Brighton is a comedian as well as a professional looper, and Stark said he kept her loose out there by keeping her focused on his jokes instead of how she’s feeling out on the course. Sounds like they make a great team!

Celebration plans

I’m always curious to learn how major winners celebrate their victories. On one hand, they must be exhausted. On the other hand, their wildest dreams just came true, so how could you not at least celebrate a little bit?

When asked what the winning celebrations might look like, Stark’s caddie, Jeff Brighton, said that there would be “carnage” and then didn’t elaborate. Fair enough! Stark’s friend Ingrid Lindblad said she hopes Stark buys a first-class ticket home. And when Stark was asked what she’ll do with her $2.4 million winner’s check, she said, “Maybe move out of my studio apartment can be one thing. I don’t know. I’m very happy with what I have in my life right now. I think just having the security for the future, I think I’ll just be very happy about that.”

From one studio apartment renter to another, definitely move out of there if you can, Stark. Treat yourself!

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