ESPN Golf: 2026 U.S. Women's Open Preview — Korda Seeks Elusive Title as Riviera Hosts Women for the First Time

Historic Venue, High Stakes

The 2026 U.S. Women's Open marks the first time Riviera Country Club has hosted a women's major. Known as a February PGA Tour staple, the course presents a different challenge in June — firm, fast fairways and bouncy greens shaped by a dry Southern California spring, with unpredictable ocean breezes adding another layer of difficulty.

Korda's Hunger Is Real

World No. 1 Nelly Korda enters with 3 wins and 3 runner-up finishes in 7 starts this season. Despite her dominance, the U.S. Women's Open has been her white whale — three missed cuts and only one top-10 from 2020–2024. A T-2 at Erin Hills last year left her motivated rather than deflated. She arrives at Riviera as the clear favorite, but the course and the field will test her resolve.

Thitikul's Major Ceiling

Jeeno Thitikul (23) has 59 top-10s and 9 wins since 2022, yet zero major titles in 23 attempts. Her own diagnosis: up-and-down play around the greens. Riviera's sticky kikuya grass will make short-game precision more critical than ever — a direct test of her stated weakness.

A Course Built for Strategy

Players describe Riviera as a "second-shot golf course" where spin, trajectory, and angles into greens decide outcomes. Club selection is a puzzle even for the best — Lydia Ko reported needing a 5-iron where she'd hit a pitching wedge two days prior. Longer hitters gain an edge, but not without solving strategic dilemmas on tighter fairway corridors.

Veterans vs. the Next Generation

The contender list splits neatly between experienced winners — Hannah Green (three LPGA wins in the LA area), MinJee Lee (three-time major champion) — and rising stars like Miyu Yamashita (defending Women's British Open champion), Ruoning Yin (five top-5s in her last 7 majors), and Lottie Woad (winner in Cincinnati, T-3 at Evian as an amateur). The generational clash adds a compelling subplot to an already loaded field.

Strokeslab's Take

Korda's across-the-board SG metrics make her the statistical frontrunner, but Riviera's short-game demands could elevate players who excel in SG: ATG. Watch whether Thitikul's chipping holds up — that single data point may determine whether she finally breaks through at a major.