U.S. Women’s Open: 25 Key Takeaways & Highlights

JUST FEET FROM THE WHITNALL PARK GOLF COURSE GRILL, Wis. – I’m home.

I grew up in Milwaukee. I taught myself how to play golf here, and I learned how to type words about playing golf here, making for a week where I worked in the present as part of our U.S. Women’s Open team, but couldn’t help but look back into the past. As I spent the past six days at Erin Hillsthe memories hit harder than a Maja strong tee shot. Ooh, there’s a friend from high school. Ooh, there’s a Packers hat. Ooh, that smells like bratwurst.

Ooh, there are kiddos just like I once was.

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Sort of. Growing up here in the ’90s,we had the Greater Milwaukee Open for our pro golf,and while the GMO will forever be remembered as the site of Tiger Woods’ pro debut, it always came during a funky part of the year (around the Open Championship), few stars came (Woods never returned) and it eventually died. But now? Over the past couple decades, thanks to courses like Erin hills and Whistling StraitsWisconsin’s seen it all. U.S. Opens, plural. PGA Championships, plural.A Ryder Cup. Good stuff.

But is it all gone?

Last week’s USWO will be the last major here for maybe a while. On the USGA side, the men are booked solid through 2042 (!) and are gravitating toward just a few sites, while the women don’t have an opening until 2037. on the PGA side, the tournament’s move to May hurts – it would be hard to hold a tournament here at that time, unless you like your golf as cold as the custard at Culver’s. Has Wisconsin had its fair share? You betcha,in the words of the state natives. But shouldn’t there be at least one on the horizon? Yah, fer sure. Hometown pride is certainly part of the thought, but the events here have spiked every crucial metric, especially this past week.

As we look back at the U.S. Women’s Open week that was, let’s make that observation No. 1 then. We’ll try for 24 more, and, to help the mood, we’ve stationed ourselves at Whitnall Parka member of the Milwaukee Country Parks golf course family – and where I once took great advantage of the $5 twilight rate and learned what a beverage cart is.The grill is also open, and we’ll be sure to investigate.

2. Let’s talk Stark. Her game’s complete. She may be headed to superstardom. But what struck me the most was her approach, which she talked about in her Saturday night press conference (and which I focused my Sunday story on):

“I’ve just been telling myself that when I get nervous over shots, I just tell myself, OK, but how can I make myself proud right now? I make myself proud by sticking to my routines, sticking to my key swing thought, and I think that calms me down and it makes me feel like I’ve done everything that I can and that I can control.If the wind gusts up, then that’s fine and I’m going to end up in a bad spot, but hopefully our strategy is good enough that we don’t end up in that many bad spots.”

3. Stark impressed on Erin Hills’ greens, which confounded most of the field. She’s ranked 112th in the LPGA this season in strokes gained: putting – and was 10th at the USWO. Work with coach Joe hallett helped.

“He said that on my short putts I tend to be – if it’s for par, I tend to be a little bit too curious, like I just look at the hole too much and I end up open with my shoulders and my face,” Stark said. “I’m left eye dominant, so if I just look at the hole like that, then I end up seeing the line too far to the right. So he just said kind of tilt your head and just make sure that your shoulders are aligned.”

4. Another swing tip also clicked.

“During the practice days, I realized that, if I just kind of hovered the club above the ground a little bit before I hit, I released some tension in my body,” Stark said. “I think that just doing my processes well and knowing, giving myself little things like that was the key this week as I don’t really think that – I don’t really wont to rely on my confidence for stuff.”

5. An unfortunate scene unfolded on the 72nd hole as Stark’s playing partner, Julia Ramirez Lopezstruggled on her way to a triple-bogey eight, leading to a lengthy wait for Stark and caddie Jeff Brighton – and a question: How did they pass the time?

Jokes, Stark said. As for what kind, Brighton said this:

“It’s just just shite. I mean, I just waffle. Just you try and get their head away from looking, oh, gosh. I would say Maja is quite an intense player. You know, she tries really hard.She’s really competitive. So when you’re intense, you try just to get their head away from golf, the last shot, the next shot, and just, it’s a long, long time out there.”

6. And Brighton said just this as to what the celebration would like:

“Carnage.”

7. Don’t worry much about Lopez ramirez, who finished tied for 19th. She has plenty of game. She’ll win events, plural.

8. A scene late Sunday afternoon near the practice green was great. Lopez Ramirez signed for anyone who wanted a signature, took pictures and handed out gear.

9. Let’s talk Nelly Kordawho tied for second.Should our focus be more that she beat or tied all but one player – or the fact that she wasn’t the one at the top. A lot is expected of Korda, though rightfully so – she’s her sport’s best player. I’ll argue this is another step. Majors are hard to win.

10. And Anyone Can Win Them. Over the past 11 majors, there have been 11 different winners – Stark, mao Saigo,