The World’s Best Head to Wisconsin
At the end of this month, the best golfers in the world will meet at Erin Hills in Wisconsin to contest the 2025 US Women’s Open. I got to attend Media Day at Erin Hills to get an advanced look at the course and to hear what the USGA has in store for this US Women’s Open and those to come.
The US Women’s Open
On the men’s side of the game, it’s open to debate which tournament carries the most prestige. Some players might want a green jacket, others a Claret Jug. On the women’s side, there is no such argument. The US Women’s Open is the longest running women’s championship. It has the biggest purse – $12 million. There’s no pro-am. It’s a gathering of the world’s best focused purely on the highest level of competition.
The US Women’s Open is also contested at the game’s best venues – what the USGA has taken to referring to as the “Cathedrals of Golf.” The names of the upcoming venues – which are planned through 2048 – represent the bucket list of any serious golfer: Pebble Beach, Pinehurst, Oakmont, Chicago Golf Club, and Shinnecock, just to name a few.
The Course: Erin Hills
Compared to other US Open venues, Erin Hills is a youngster. Having officially opened in 2006, it’s been in existence almost 100 years less than Pinehurst #2. But in that short time, Erin Hills has put together an impressive resume of championships that’s only going to get longer.
Erin Hills’ most famous tournament to date was the 2017 US Open. Won by Brooks Koepka, that tournament is equally famous for Justin Thomas’s 63 which included an eagle on the 667 yard 18th hole.
Other USGA tournaments at Erin Hills include 2008 US Women’s Amateur Public Links, 2011 US Amateur, and the 2022 US Mid-Amateur. There are also five more USGA Championships coming to Erin Hills by 2039: the 2027 US Amateur Four-Ball, 2030 US Women’s Amateur Four-Ball, 2033 US Women’s Amateur, 2035 US Amateur, and 2039 US Junior Amateur.
After the playing of the 2025 US Women’s Open, Erin Hills will join a list of only sixteen venues that have hosted the men’s and women’s US Open.
What to Expect
Erin Hills is expected to play at 6,835 yards and par 72. It’s a course that has ample length and loads of dramatic elevation changes – there’s not a single flat hole on the course. For recreational players, those two elements are enough, but we saw in 2017 that the best in the world need more.
The winning score will likely depend on how hard the wind blows. If it’s still, players of this caliber will be able to go well below par. If the wind blows the way it “should” at this course, you can expect to see players working very hard to keep their scorecard clean.
During my preview round, the fescue was not grown up dramatically. I’ll be eager to see how tall the USGA lets it grow. Growing up the rough would be the one way to guarantee a higher winning score and put a higher premium on driving the ball in the fairway.
Check out my review of Erin Hills HERE.
“Get Every Club Dirty”
Finally, one of the most interesting things to come out of Media Day was the USGA’s explanation of their philosophy on course set up. For my entire golfing life, the US Open has been golf’s most demanding test. Right or wrong, it’s been perceived that the USGA wants the winning score at or around par.
The USGA’s message at Erin Hills was not about targeting a specific score but about creating a complete test of golf. In their words, they want to see “every club dirty.” As a golfer and a golf fan, I think this is a much more worthy goal. When golf is nothing but a contest of driving and putting, it’s not very engaging. To see players hit every club in their bag over the course of 18 holes is exactly the kind of tournament I’m excited to watch.
Golf fans will be able to watch the US Women’s Open on USA, Peacock, and NBC. Live coverage on NBC will start at 3PM on Saturday and 4PM on Sunday.
He founded Plugged In Golf in 2013 with the goal of helping all golfers play better and enjoy the game more.
Matt lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two daughters.
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