Matt Cooper steps in for Ben Coley this week, and he has four selections in his preview of the US Women’s Open.
Golf betting tips: US Women’s Open
1.5pt each way Lydia Ko at 25/1 (Unibet, BetMGM 1/5 1,2,3,4,5,6)
1pt each way Yealimi Noh at 45/1 (Sky Bet 1/5 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8)
1pt each way Jiyai Shin at 80/1 (Sky Bet 1/5 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8)
1pt each way Linn Grant at 100/1 (William Hill, 888Sport 1/5 1,2,3,4,5,6)
A couple of Monday mornings ago, in the delightful surroundings of the wooden clubhouse at Royal Porthcawl, Charley Hull spoke to the media as part of preparations for July’s AIG Women’s Open. It was a fun morning because the Englishwoman’s chatter is very like her golf, which is to say that there’s very little messing about.
As such, it was difficult not to compare and contrast her cheerfully zippy pace with the dreary conclusion of the first major championship of the year. Indeed, if you had been told that Japan’s Mao Saigo won last month’s Chevron Championship after a five-way play-off you might have suspected high drama. Alas, the finale had any excitement sucked from it by the glacial pace.
Asked what she’d do about the typically tardy pace of play on the LPGA, Hull wasted no time in saying: “Shot penalties and if you get caught too often, at a certain point, you’d lose your Tour card for the year and go back to Q-School.” She gave an endearing shrug of frustration and added: “That’s the way I’d do it.”
She also explained how one player in particular had driven her to distraction. “My tee shot was 30 yards ahead of her ball,” she said. “I was stood watching and waiting for her to hit. And waiting ... In the end, I just went boom, hit it straight, up to the green, finished it off, walked to the next tee box, waited for her. Too slow for me!”
Tremendous stuff and the 29-year-old was equally forthright when discussing her chances of turning three runner-up finishes into a major championship triumph.“100% I can get it done and dusted,” she said. “I’ve just got to pull my head out of my ass and do it.”
Alas, although she was second at Pebble Beach in this event in 2023 and second again later that year at Walton Heath in the British Open, she reiterated that she prefers a tree-lined test to an open one and this week’s test, Erin Hills, is open, exposed to the wind, and has almost no trees to frame the holes.
It hosted the men’s 2017 US Open when there was a certain element of debate about the test from the tee. Dustin Johnson said: “It’s a typical US Open venue where you have to hit the fairways.” Not everyone agreed, however. They felt DJ had just looked at the rough rather than the width of the fairways.
“We have 60 yards from left line to right line,” said Rory McIlroy. “You’ve got 156 of the best players in the world here. If we can’t hit it within that avenue, you might as well pack your bags and go home. These are the widest fairways we’ve ever played in a US Open. Even the first and second cut is another ten yards on top of that. If you’re complaining about the fescue that’s wider than that, I don’t think that’s the issue.”
Justin Rose concurred. “I’ve heard guys talking about the hay and it’s a huge penalty if you miss big this week,” he said. “But if you play well, which is obviously what this championship is trying to identify, it’s a very playable golf course.” Adam Scott added: “The rough is incredibly long but there’s a huge space between it.”
The stats would back this up. The winner Brooks Koepka hit 86% of Greens in Regulation. Hideki Matsuyama (T2) hit 67% and ranked 40th. A year earlier at Oakmont 67% ranked 14th. The quality of those approaches and recovering from misses in untypical US Open spots appeared to be key. “You can be aggressive with approach shots,” said McIlroy. “If you do miss a green, it heads to collection areas and runoffs.” Scott added: “The bunkering is quite severe. Everything is. It’s a severe piece of land.” There are 132 bunkers to avoid, by the way.
Despite this, with Koepka winning, Matsuyama sharing second and Xander Schauffele tied fifth, that’s three US Open specialists who thrived. With Brian Harman also second, and Tommy Fleetwood, Rickie Fowler and Bill Haas rounding out the top seven (plus Brandt Snedeker T9) you have a bunch of players with good touch around the greens.
Will it play in a similar manner for the women? The fescue grass won’t be as high or as wispy if reports are to be believed. It is currently greener, but the exposed nature of the property means that working with the wind will remain a factor. Exposed land, negotiating wind, a good short game – those named above from 2017 have featured on Open leaderboard first pages and it perhaps should be no surprise.
Of the favourites Jeeno Thitikul is a mighty fine player but she’s yet to win a major and hasn’t had a top five finish in her last 10 starts. Haeran Ryu is also yet to win one. Nelly Korda briefly led last time out but has a best of eighth in this championship. There is absolutely no doubt that all three are good enough to win this week but they do not inspire excitement at the prices.
Instead let’s go with a player who served us well last summer, winning both the Olympic gold medal and the AIG Women’s Open when tipped – LYDIA KO. The Kiwi has five top 15 finishes in the championship including a best of third at Cordevalle in 2016, but it’s not been her best major and this more unusual test is probably a better fit for her.
She landed that British title at St Andrews and has also finished third at Turnberry and seventh at Muirfield. Her short game skills have helped her regularly contend in the Scottish Open and she ranks sixth for Strokes Gained Around the Greens this year, her third year in a row in the top 12. She won the HSBC Womens World Championship in March and was T11 last time out. Anything at 20/1 and over feels acceptable.
CLICK HERE to back Lydia Ko with Sky Bet
YEALIMI NOH got the nod in the Chevron Championship as we showed faith in her form against one bad week. Alas, the blip lasted into that event but she was fifth last time out and contended all week. Her last 16 starts have reaped 12 top 20s including an impressive win in the Founders Cup.
She’s got a solid game around the greens (21st this year). She also ranks 10th for Approach and 11th for Driving. She’s been seventh in the Scottish Open at Dumbarnie Links and T13 at Carnoustie in the AIG Women’s British Open. Her major potential is revealed in her third at the 2021 Evian Championship and ninth in the 2024 Chevron Championship.
CLICK HERE to back Yealimi Noh with Sky Bet
At a bigger price, but with most enthusiasm this week, is another golfer who has proved profitable for the column in recent times – the indomitable JIYAI SHIN. The Korean continues to forge her own path in the game, content to play in Japan and then cherry-pick her major championship adventures.
In the last two seasons she has been second at Pebble Beach in this championship, and second and third in the AIG Women’s British Open at Walton Heath and St Andrews. At the start of this month she was a winner in the World Ladies Championship Salonpas Cup on the JLPGA. We can take the tournament title with an enormous pinch of salt – just be content she landed a 66th career title and that nothing about the test will faze her.
CLICK HERE to back Jiyai Shin with Sky Bet
Final pick, Sweden’s LINN GRANT, comes down to price. She doesn’t have a championship top 20 but she did sit inside the top five through 36 holes in both 2018 and 2020 when an amateur. She’s also finished top 20 in her last three Women’s British Open starts and also in the last two KPMG Women’s PGA Championships.
We know she has class from fine performances in the Solheim Cup, winning quickly on both the LET and LPGA, and her two victories against the men in the Volvo Scandinavian Mixed. None of this would matter had she continued with her early season form struggles but she was fourth last week. If she has turned a corner (not a given but possible) this is a great price.
CLICK HERE to back Linn Grant with Sky Bet
Posted at 1140 BST on 27/05/25
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