10 players to watch at Muirfield

Whoever wins this week’s AIG Women’s British Open will forever hold a special place in women’s golf history. Three years ago, Muirfield, host of 16 men’s British Opens, invited its first female members in the club’s 275-year history.

The club was actually removed from the R&A’s rota of British Open host venues after a 2016 membership vote failed to reach the two-thirds majority needed to change the rule to admit women.

The membership voted again in 2017 and pushed it through. Needless to say, the final major of 2022 carries great significance.

Jennifer Kupcho, winner of the first female event ever hosted at Augusta National, won the final Chevron Championship at the Dinah Shore Tournament Course to kick off major season. Minjee Lee’s dominant performance at the U.S. Women’s Open at Pine Needles followed.

Then, In Gee Chun nabbed her third different major at the KPMG Women’s PGA, and two weeks ago, the Amundi Evian saw Brooke Henderson snap a six-year drought between her first and second major titles.

Here’s a look at 10 players to keep an eye on at Muirfield:

Minjee Lee

Minjee Lee of Australia smiles on the 2nd hole during the Pro-Am prior to the AIG Women’s Open at Muirfield on August 03, 2022 in Gullane, Scotland. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/R&A/R&A via Getty Images)

Minjee Lee loves links golf, which automatically puts her on the short list this week. Couple that with four top-11 finishes in her last four starts at the AIG Women’s Open and a first and second already this year in the majors, and she’s the one to beat at Muirfield.

No one has made more birdies in the majors this season than Lee, who has 74, five more than Jennifer Kupcho.

Lydia Ko

Lydia Ko of New Zealand tees off on the first hole during the Pro-Am prior to the AIG Women’s Open at Muirfield on August 03, 2022 in Gullane, Scotland. (Photo by Octavio Passos/Getty Images)

While Lydia Ko has only one top-10 finish to her credit in this championship, her early play least week at the Women’s Scottish Open shows she’s in form, despite a lackluster Sunday.

Ko won early in the year at the Gainbridge LPGA. Here’s a wild one: Ko has 115 bogey-free rounds since 2014 in LPGA competition – 40 more than anyone else.

Georgia Hall

Georgia Hall of England tees off on the 1st hole during the Pro-Am prior to the AIG Women’s Open at Muirfield on August 3, 2022…