Scoring has been extremely difficult at the 2024 US Women’s Open – as most people agree it should be – with the leaders on just four-under heading into Sunday’s final round at Lancaster Country Club.
But in an attempt to induce a few more birdies down the stretch and shake up the closing stages of this year’s championship, the USGA has opted to make a pretty drastic change to the penultimate par 4.
🚨 SHORT PAR 4 ON CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAYHere’s what the players will face on 16 👀 https://t.co/XW6ILU8132 pic.twitter.com/LuZQ2iKIveJune 2, 2024
Measuring 340 yards during round one, 351 yards in round two, and 342 yards for round three so far this week, the USGA surprised everyone on Sunday morning by posting a photo of the information board on the 16th which showed just 239 yards as its total length for round four.
The 16th hole at Lancaster CC is a dogleg-left hole with two large bunkers guarding the neck of the fairway and a plethora of further sand traps down the left rough. As the crow flies, it will measure at a little more than 200 yards on Sunday, while the method used for measuring holes means it is officially closer to 240.
Having played marginally over par on all three days of the US Women’s Open so far, the switch-up will likely lead to many more birdies – and possibly even an eagle or two – now that it is at a drivable length for the average player.
Oh, do we have a Sunday surprise for you 👀 pic.twitter.com/0XGiaUMD9xJune 2, 2024
Per the LPGA Tour website, 148 of the 150 players with sufficient data available are averaging over 239 yards with their drives this season.
However, just because the hole is in reach does not mean that every player will opt to go for it in one. The rough is extremely penal at Lancaster CC and may well cause some big numbers if the competitors find themselves out of position following a wayward tee shot.
One player who knows that better than anyone is Nelly Korda, who did not make it to the weekend in the second women’s Major of 2024, in part, as a result of a 10 on the 161-yard par 3 hole on Thursday.
Korda found the back bunker from her tee shot before sending the resulting wedge zipping across the green and down in the stream which guards the front edge.
Three attempts to bump her drop shot into the front of the green later, hoping…
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