Often times, when much is expected, the anticipation of an event ends up exceeding the actuality. That was definitely not the case with the 78th U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links. This week-long celebration of women’s golf not only lived up to the pre-championship hype — it was better than advertised.
From the Reunion of Champions dinner Monday night at the Beach Club that saw 39 past winners participate to Sunday’s trophy presentation, memory piled upon memory. This was a week in which those who had already made history were honored as new history was being recorded. This was a week when fans got to see the best women in the game take on one of golf’s most demanding and respected venues.
“It's been a fantastic few days,” said Karrie Webb, the last to successfully defend, , taking home the trophy in 2000 and 2001. “The dinner the other night was really special, to have 39 past champions in the room and hearing all the different stories. Just catching up with people you haven't seen and realizing that we're a very special fraternity of players that have been fortunate enough to win the biggest tournament in golf.”
And that was just the beginning. On Wednesday, USGA CEO Mike Whan announced that that total prize money would increase to $11 million with the winner this year collecting a check for $2 million.
“I want to thank the USGA for doing that and giving the women that opportunity,” said Annika Sorenstam, a three-time champion and World Golf Hall of Famer. “That is a massive change. I think it gives the women a lot more credibility and respect for doing that. Hope other tournaments will follow suit, and let's keep working this direction for other women.”
When Stanford rising sophomore Kelly Xu hit the opening tee shot on Thursday morning, it officially kicked off the 14th USGA championship on the seaside links course, a remarkable relationship that dates to the 1929 U.S. Amateur. Symbolically – and significantly – this U.S. Women’s Open also marked the beginning of a bond between the USGA and Pebble Beach that will extend for another 25 years (2048 U.S. Women’s Open) and nine championships.
On Friday, emotional tears flowed as fans, friends and family said goodbye to Sorenstam and Michelle Wie West, a pioneer and role model for young women who won the historic 2014 U.S. Women’s Open, which for the first time was played on the same venue as the U.S. Open in consecutive weeks – Pinehurst No. 2. Both Sorenstam, the winner of 72 LPGA Tour events, and Wie West said Pebble Beach would be their last U.S. Women’s Open.
“I've definitely held back tears the entire round,” Wie West said Friday when her U.S. Women’s Open concluded with husband, Jonnie, on the bag and 3-year-old daughter Makenna in her gallery. “It was fun. It was great to have my last round here at Pebble Beach. It definitely feels surreal right now. The whole week just meant everything to me, to have my family out here, to be at the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. Everything was just incredible.”
Saturday was owned by Nasa Hataoka, whose 6-under-par 66 was the low score of the day by four strokes — and the only bogey free effort in Round 3 — and the low score of the week by two strokes. The enormous challenges presented by Pebble Beach renewed respect for the awesome effort by Tiger Woods in the 2000 U.S. Open, when he posted 12 under par and the next best 72-hole total was 3 over par.
While past champions roamed the ground and legends like Sorenstam and Wie West competed, fans were also reminded of the strong future the game holds in its wealth of young talent. LPGA rookie Bailey Tardy and second-year player Allisen Corpuz, two Americans who honed their skills in the college game, emerged as potential future stars.
