The 2018 U.S. Women’s Open will begin play on Thursday, May 31, at Shoal Creek, in Shoal Creek, Alabama, and is scheduled to conclude on Sunday, June 3. This will be the 73rd playing of the U.S. Women’s Open, which was first played in 1946, at Spokane Country Club, in Spokane, Washington. Defending champion Sung Hyun Park will be among those seeking to become the next national champion of women’s golf.
Top Contenders
Can you ever count out Inbee Park, once again the number one ranked player in the world, and second on the LPGA Tour money list? Since returning from injury, she has already won once this year, at the Bank of Hope Founder’s Cup, and finished second twice, including a loss in a thrilling eight-hole playoff in the first women’s major of 2018, the ANA Inspiration. She ranks third in scoring and fifth in greens in regulation. When she is healthy, she is in the mix.
LPGA Tour leading money winner Ariya Jutanugarn just won last week at Kingsmill. She ranks first in birdies, second in putting, fifth in scoring, and has nine ten finishes so far this year. Her sister Moriya stands third on the money list, is second in birdies and eagles, and has six top tens. Minjee Lee is fourth on the money list, fourth in birdies and fourth in scoring.
The top American contender seems to be Jessica Korda. She ranks sixth on the money list, but she has the best scoring average on the LPGA Tour this year. Korda is also first in eagles and fifth in putting. Michelle Wie is the next best ranked American on the money list at number eleven. Lexi Thompson, is only number twenty on the money list, but she is third in greens in regulation. Other American hopes, and their ranks on the money list, include Brittany Lincicome(13), Lindy Duncan(15), Lizette Salas(16), Jennifer Song(19) and Chritie Kerr(21).
About the Course
Shoal Creek with play to a par of 36-36-72 each day, and will be set up from a base yardage of 6,689 yards. This will be the third time that Shoal Creek has held a USGA Championship, having previously hosted the 1986 U.S. Amateur Championship, won by Stewart “Buddy” Alexander, and the 2008 U.S. Junior Amateur, which was won by Cameron Beck. The club has also held the 1984 PGA Championship, won by Lee Trevino, and the 1990 PGA Championship, where Wayne Grady prevailed. More recently, Shoal Creek has played host to a PGA Tour Champions major, the Regions Tradition, since 2011.
Broadcast Coverage and Live Streaming
All Times EDT
The 2018 U.S. Women’s Open will be televised by FS1 on Thursday and Friday from 3-8 pm, and by Fox on Saturday and Sunday, also from 3-8 pm, for a total of 20 hours coverage.
Live streaming will be available at usga.org with extra coverage from 11 am-1 pm on Thursday and Friday. There will be live streaming featured group coverage on Thursday and Friday from 3-8 pm, and on Saturday and Sunday from 2-7 pm for at least 24 hours of coverage.
Other Tour News
The PGA Tour will play the Memorial Tournament, hosted by Jack Nicklaus, at Muirfield Village, in Dublin, Ohio, where Jason Dufner won last year’s event by three strokes over Rickie Fowler. Gardagolf Country Club in Soiano del Lago, Brescia, Italy, will host the Italian Open on the European Tour. The Web.com Tour will be at TPC Wakefield Plantation, in Raleigh, North Carolina, for the Rex Hospital Open.
