An update from the 2023 U.S. Women's Open
The GIST: With the first round in the (golf)bag, China’s Lin Xiyu and South Korea’s Kim Hyo-joo sit atop the leaderboard at the U.S. Women’s Open, the first LPGA major ever held at the iconic Pebble Beach course. About damn time.
The money: Prize money on the LPGA Tour is on the up and up, with a record $11M (!!!) up for grabs this weekend, including a $2M check for the winner. The purse marks a $1M increase from last year, but to keep things in perspective, the men had a $20M purse at last month’s U.S. Open. It’s giving…55 cents to the dollar.
The course: Legendary golfer Jack Nicklaus once said he’d want to play the final round of his life at Pebble Beach, which has hosted seven men’s majors. The public course located in sunny California is considered among the best in the world, and it is the first of many historic clubs teeing up to host the premier women’s tournament in the coming years.
Who to watch: American Michelle Wie West, who turned pro in 2005, has confirmed that Sunday’s 18th hole at Pebble Beach will be her last. Meanwhile, 20-year-old rookie phenom Rose Zhang is still the heavy fan-favorite after setting the Pebble Beach women's course record last year, despite sitting at 39th place heading into today.
- And then there’s American Amy Olson, who’sswinging for the greens while seven months pregnant. Get this superstar a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, stat.
- Zhang tees off again today at 8:50 a.m. ET in a stacked group that includes former major champions Lydia Ko and Canadian Brooke Henderson, who’s played with top-notch consistency lately, making her certainly one to watch.
