The U.S. Women’s Open, one of the five majors on the women’s golf schedule, is back and at a terrific venue. Erin Hills is a big and beautiful course that can be navigated in a variety of ways. For a U.S. Open course, it has relatively wide landing zones, but a miss could be catastrophic. Here are the five players most likely to win the 2025 U.S. Women’s Open:
No. 5 – Yuka Saso – Yuka Saso has been frankly pretty dreadful this season. She’s missed cuts in four of her seven stroke play starts, and the first event of the year was a no-cut event. She has missed three in a row adding up to a +24 score. So why is she here? She plays really well in the U.S. Women’s Open. Both of her LPGA Tour wins are in this event and she has two additional top 20 finishes. This course should set up nicely for her also, as when she is on she is one of the best shot makers on tour. She may be a long shot, but the talent is there and this championship is where she is most confident.
No. 4 – Lauren Coughlin – I really think Coughlin’s grinding nature sets up well for what should be a pretty grueling week. Coughlin has quietly been terrific this year with no missed cuts and three top-10 finishes. She currently ranks No. 9 in the Race to the CME Globe Standings and has risen into the top 10 in the Rolex Rankings. Though her short game has been a bit inconsistent, she’s unstoppable when it shows up, and her ball striking numbers are as elite as you would expect from a player with her style of play. I like her a lot this week.
No. 3 – Jeeno Thitikul – You can never bet against Jeeno. With a win this week, Thitikul could take the No. 1 Rolex Ranking spot from Nelly Korda, a spot she’s held for 99 weeks in a row. If there’s one player on tour who doesn’t have a noticeable weakness, it’s Thitikul. The only category in strokes gained she is outside the top 20 of is around the green, but she still gains strokes there. She’s arguably more dialed in with irons than anyone and has a strong argument for best putter on tour. The results show it too, as she has five top-five finishes in nine starts this year.
No. 2 – Nelly Korda – I really like how this course sets up for Korda. I think she plays a pretty similar style to Koepka, who obviously found a lot of success here. Weather may also be an issue early, and Nelly is one of the better bad weather players in the world. Winds should be up all week and there is chance for rain both Thursday and Friday. Korda has shown the signs of the player she was in 2024, but has had a tough time stringing together four solid rounds. After a couple weeks off, I think she’ll be in strong form. The only worry with Korda is she doesn’t traditionally play USGA setups well, as she has finished inside the top 60 just once since 2020 in this event.
No. 1 – Haeran Ryu – I think it is Ryu’s time. On a course that should fit her game and with some good recent form, I like her chances of following in fellow South Korean Seri Pak’s footsteps and winning this event in Wisconsin. Ryu has recently finished top 10 twice, including a dominant victory in Utah a few weeks ago. She’s now in the top five in the world and ranks No. 1 in strokes gained tee-to-green. The putter is inconsistent at best, but when she is hitting the makable ones, she is among the most dominant figures in the sport. Ryu has five top-10 finishes in majors in the last three years, I think this is the one she converts into a win.
