The groan at the 12th tee box said it all. It was Thursday at the U.S. Women’s Open, and another tee shot had found the water at Lancaster Country Club. By 4 p.m., the groans were so frequent they went unnoticed, except by one guy who broke from typical behavior and called a buddy. ‘Dude,’ he said, grinning, ‘I’m here at the U.S. Open, and it’s insane.’
Thursday at Lancaster C.C. saw players grappling with a golf course setup that could challenge any professional. The wind was relentless, the ground firm, and the scores soared. Bogeys and worse tripled the number of birdies, and by day’s end, only three players were under par on what’s supposed to be the easiest day of the tournament.
The course’s difficulty was no surprise. In Gee Chun won here in 2015 with a score of 8 under, and even then, the top 10 players on the leaderboard were the only ones under par. But this year’s setup went above and beyond, pushing players to their limits. Rose Zhang nearly spun an approach shot 15 yards back into the water. Lexi Thompson needed three chips to keep her ball on the 10th green. Nelly Korda put three balls in the water and made a 10 on the 12th hole.
The average score climbed to over five above par, leaving the players visibly dejected. ‘I knew it as soon as I walked out of the hotel,’ said Andrea Lee, the lowest scorer from the morning wave. ‘The wind was gusting pretty good even in the morning. I just knew it was going to be a grind out there. This golf course is such a test.’
The 12th hole was particularly punishing. The 161-yard par-3 played significantly longer into the wind, creating a nearly impossible decision: risk the back bunker or the creek. Even seasoned players like Korda, the tournament favorite, struggled. She estimated a ’25 or 30 minute’ backup on the hole due to its difficulty.
Viewers seemed to enjoy the chaos, watching with a mix of joy and disbelief as favorite after favorite struggled. Nelly Korda, the biggest name in the field, had a disastrous start with an 80. ‘I just didn’t really want to shoot 80, and I just kept making bogeys,’ Korda said post-round.
Korda ended the day tied for 140th in a field of 156. Some might argue that the setup is unfair, especially for TV viewers hoping to see top players succeed. But the scores of Korda, Zhang, and Thompson underline the course’s indiscriminate challenge. Lancaster C.C. is an equal-opportunity offender, delivering the tough testing ground the U.S. Women’s Open is known for.
On Thursday, the U.S. Women’s Open didn’t offer a star-studded leaderboard or thrilling roars but instead a series of groans that perfectly encapsulated the brutal nature of the course. It was a day where even the best felt humbled, a true testament to the difficulty of Lancaster’s setup.
Source: Golf
