In addition, it has hosted two PGA Championships (1983, 1995), one U.S. Senior Open (1998) and one U.S. Amateur (2017).
Riviera becomes the 17th venue, and third in California, to host a U.S. Open on both the men’s and women’s side, joining:
The last six U.S. Women’s Opens have been won by players representing six different countries, including one player (Yuka Saso) who has won representing two different countries:
It’s the longest such streak in the history of this championship. Consider that during the 11-year period from between 2007 and 2017, the only countries represented by U.S. Women’s Open winners were the United States (4 times) and South Korea (7 times).
Atlanta Athletic Club (1976-M, 1990-W)
Baltimore Country Club (1899-M, 1988 W)
Baltusrol GC (1903-M, 1915-M, 1936-M, 1954-M, 1961-W, 1967-M, 1980-M, 1985-W, 1993-M)
Champions GC (1969-M, 2020-W)
Cherry Hills CC (1938-M, 1960-M, 1978-M, 2005-W)
Colonial CC (1941-M, 1991-W)
Erin Hills (2017-M, 2025 W)
Hazeltine National GC (1966-W, 1970-M, 1977-W, 1991-M)
Interlachen CC (1930-M, 2008-W)
Newport Country Club (1895-M, 2006-W)
Oakmont CC (hosted the men 10 times, most recently in 2025, 1992-W, 2010-W)
Olympic Club (1955-M, 1966-M, 1987-M, 1998-M, 2012-M, 2021-W)
Pebble Beach GL (1972-M, 1982-M, 1992-M, 2000-M, 2010-M, 2019-M, 2023-W)
Pinehurst Resort (1999-M, 2005-M, 2014-M, 2014-W, 2024-M)
Winged Foot GC (1929-M, 1957-W, 1959-M, 1972-W, 1974-M, 1984-M, 2006-M, 2020-M)
Worcester CC (1925-M, 1960-W)
The last six U.S. Women’s Opens have been won by players representing six different countries, including one player (Yuka Saso) who has won representing two different countries:
Year Winner Country
2025 Maja Stark Sweden
2024 Yuka Saso Japan
2023 Allisen Corpuz USA
2022 Minjee Lee Australia
2021 Yuka Saso Philippines
2020 Kim A-lim South Korea
It’s the longest such streak in the history of this championship. Consider that during the 11-year period from between 2007 and 2017, the only countries represented by U.S. Women’s Open winners were the United States (4 times) and South Korea (7 times).
In comparison to the men, women’s major championships have been much more unpredictable of late. Consider that seven of the last 10 men’s majors winners were ranked among the Top 3 in the Official World Golf Rankings at the time. In contrast, only three of the last 17 women’s major championships were won by players ranked among the Top 10 in the Rolex Rankings at the time: Nelly Korda (World Ranking #1 and #2, 2024 & 2026 Chevron Championships, respectively) and Lilia Vu (#6, 2023 AIG Women’s Open).
In 2025, the first 26 official LPGA tournaments were won by 26 different players. The first to win her second tournament of the season was Jeeno Thitikul, who won her first title of the year at the Mizuho Americas Open in May and her second at the Buick LPGA Shanghai in October.
This year has been quite different, with four players having already won multiple times: Nelly Korda (3 wins), Hyo Joo Kim, Hannah Green and Jeeno Thitikul. It’s the first time in 10 years that the LPGA has had at least four multiple-winners prior to June. In 2016, Ha Na Jang, Lydia Ko, Haru Moon and Ariya Jutanugarn (3 wins) all had more than one win by the end of May.
Nelly Korda won the first major championship of the year, at the Chevron Championship in April. It was her second Chevron (also winning it in 2024) and third major overall, having won the 2021 KPMG Women's PGA Championship. Winning this week at the U.S. Women's Open at Riviera Country Club would be statistically significant in a few ways:
Nelly Korda won the first major championship of the year, at the Chevron Championship in April. It was her second Chevron (also winning it in 2024) and third major overall, having won the 2021 KPMG Women's PGA Championship. Winning this week at the U.S. Women's Open at Riviera Country Club would be statistically significant in a few ways:
- No player has won back-to-back major championships since Lydia Ko, at the 2015 Evian Championship and 2016 ANA Inspiration.
- No American player has won back-to-back major championships since Juli Inkster, at the 1999 U.S. Women's Open and McDonald's LPGA Championship.
- No player has won the first two major championships of one calendar year since Inbee Park won each of the first three major championships of 2013 (Kraft Nabisco Championship, Wegman's LPGA Championship and the U.S. Women's Open).
- Only one of the last nine U.S. Women's Opens was won by an American (Allisen Corpuz in 2023).
- Only seven players, including four Americans (Pat Bradley, Juli Inkster, Betsy King and Patty Sheehan), have won all three of the current major championships played on American soil (Chevron, U.S. Women's Open, PGA).
To provide some context from the men’s side, there are four golfers who rose to the mantle of #1 in the Official World Golf Rankings as many as seven different times: Tiger Woods (11 times), Greg Norman (11), Rory McIlroy (9) and Dustin Johnson (7).
The only male golfer to rank #1 in the world for at least one week in each of six consecutive years is Tiger Woods (14 years, from 1997 to 2010). Scottie Scheffler has a current five-year streak (2022-2026).
Korda and Scheffler have been ranked #1 at the same time in their respective World Rankings often over the last five years (Scheffler first became #1 in March 2022 and has held the mantle, without interruption, since May 21, 2023). Prior to Korda/Scheffler, the last pair of Americans to be #1 concurrently were Stacy Lewis and Tiger Woods, in April of 2013.
Jeeno Thitikul, currently No. 2 in the Rolex Rankings, held the No. 1 spot for 38 straight weeks before Korda passed her on April 27. Thitikul has already won twice this season after recording at least two LPGA victories in both 2024 and 2025. She is the first player to win multiple tournaments in each of three or more consecutive years since Brooke Henderson (four years, in a row, 2016-2019) and Sung Hyun Park (2017-2019).
Jeeno Thitikul, currently No. 2 in the Rolex Rankings, held the No. 1 spot for 38 straight weeks before Korda passed her on April 27. Thitikul has already won twice this season after recording at least two LPGA victories in both 2024 and 2025. She is the first player to win multiple tournaments in each of three or more consecutive years since Brooke Henderson (four years, in a row, 2016-2019) and Sung Hyun Park (2017-2019).
Last season, Thitikul was the only player on the LPGA Tour ranked inside the top 20 in every Strokes Gained category: 16th Off the Tee, 7th Approach, 16th Around the Green and 4th Putting. So far this year, despite her two victories, she ranks 20th or worse in each category: 20th Off the Tee, 41st Approach, 59th Around the Green, 26th Putting. Thitikul ranked inside the Top 15 in SG: Putting every season since and including her rookie year:
Thitikul has nine career LPGA Tour victories, but none of them are major championships. She also has nine Top 10 finishes in majors. Among current members of the LPGA, she has the most career victories without a major, ahead of Nasa Hataoka (7) and Jessica Korda (6).
Since 2000, there are three examples of players whose first major championship was their 10th or later overall victory: Lorena Ochoa (her 2007 British Open victory was her first major and her 13th official LPGA win), Sei Young Kim (won the 2020 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship – her 11th victory overall) and Cristie Kerr (her 2007 U.S. Women’s Open title was her 10th official win).
Season SG:Putting (per round) Rank
2026 +.012 30th
2025 +1.09 4th
2024 +1.22 2nd
2023 +0.79 12th
2022 +0.73 11th
Thitikul has nine career LPGA Tour victories, but none of them are major championships. She also has nine Top 10 finishes in majors. Among current members of the LPGA, she has the most career victories without a major, ahead of Nasa Hataoka (7) and Jessica Korda (6).
Since 2000, there are three examples of players whose first major championship was their 10th or later overall victory: Lorena Ochoa (her 2007 British Open victory was her first major and her 13th official LPGA win), Sei Young Kim (won the 2020 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship – her 11th victory overall) and Cristie Kerr (her 2007 U.S. Women’s Open title was her 10th official win).
South Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim, currently ranked No. 3 in the Rolex Rankings, won back to back tournaments in March (Fortinet Founders Cup and Ford Championship), becoming the first player since Nelly Korda in 2024 to win consecutive starts on the LPGA Tour.
In addition, she became the first player in LPGA Tour history to record two rounds of 61 or lower in one tournament, having shot 61 in both the first and third rounds of the Ford Championship.
More recently, Kim led the field at the Chevron Championship in SG: Around the Green (+1.30 per round).
China’s Ruoning Yin, currently ranked No. 4 in the world, has two runner-up finishes this year, including at the Chevron Championship. One of the best short-game players in the world, Yin currently ranks 4th on Tour in Scrambling Pct (65.80%). She is the only player who ranked among the Top 10 in that category in each of the last three years: 2nd in 2023 (66.22%), 8th in 2024 (61.92%) and 7th last year (64.06%).
China’s Ruoning Yin, currently ranked No. 4 in the world, has two runner-up finishes this year, including at the Chevron Championship. One of the best short-game players in the world, Yin currently ranks 4th on Tour in Scrambling Pct (65.80%). She is the only player who ranked among the Top 10 in that category in each of the last three years: 2nd in 2023 (66.22%), 8th in 2024 (61.92%) and 7th last year (64.06%).
Having won the 2023 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, she is in position to become the first player from China to win multiple major titles. Shanshan Feng is the only other Chinese national to win a major (2012 Wegman’s LPGA Championship).
England’s Lottie Woad, currently ranked No. 5 in the world, is the only player to have finished among the Top 10 in each of the last three major championships: T-3 at the 2025 Amundi Evian Championship, T-8 at the 2025 AIG Women’s Open and T-7 at the Chevron Championship in April.
England’s Lottie Woad, currently ranked No. 5 in the world, is the only player to have finished among the Top 10 in each of the last three major championships: T-3 at the 2025 Amundi Evian Championship, T-8 at the 2025 AIG Women’s Open and T-7 at the Chevron Championship in April.
The only player in the last five years (2022-present) to finish among the Top 10 in each of four consecutive majors is Jeeno Thitikul, who had a streak of four consecutive Top 10s in majors spanning 2022 and 2023.
The last player representing England to win a Women’s U.S. Open was Alison Nicholas in 1997 at Pumpkin Ridge. Since then, two other Englishwomen have won major titles: Karen Stupples and Georgia Hall won the 2004 and 2018 Women’s British Opens, respectively.
Australia’s Hannah Green has won twice this season (HSBC Women’s World Championship and JM Eagle LA Championship). Green ranks fourth this season in SG: Putting (+1.08 per round), after finishing 30th in that category last year (+.0.48).
Australia’s Hannah Green has won twice this season (HSBC Women’s World Championship and JM Eagle LA Championship). Green ranks fourth this season in SG: Putting (+1.08 per round), after finishing 30th in that category last year (+.0.48).
In addition, she is the only player in 2026 to have led the field in SG:Putting in two different tournaments this season, doing so in back-to-back weeks (at the Honda LPGA Thailand and HSBC Women’s World Championship). The last player before Green to lead the field in SG:Putting in each of back-to-back weeks was Japan’s Mone Inami, in September of 2024.
Englishwoman Charley Hull, currently ranked No. 7 in the Rolex Rankings, was ranked as high as No. 3 earlier this season – a new career best. This year marks the fifth season in a row that Hull, now 30 years old, has improved her career best World Ranking. She was as high as No. 32 in 2021, No. 15 in 2022, No. 8 in 2023, No. 7 in 2024 and No. 5 in 2025.
Englishwoman Charley Hull, currently ranked No. 7 in the Rolex Rankings, was ranked as high as No. 3 earlier this season – a new career best. This year marks the fifth season in a row that Hull, now 30 years old, has improved her career best World Ranking. She was as high as No. 32 in 2021, No. 15 in 2022, No. 8 in 2023, No. 7 in 2024 and No. 5 in 2025.
Hull is the only player to have finished among the Top 20 in each of the last four U.S. Women’s Open (T-20 in 2022, T-2 in 2023, T-19 in 2024 and T-12 last year).
In 2025, Hull finished T-2 at the AIG Women’s Open, marking her fourth career runner-up finish at a major. She is one of three players to debut on the LPGA Tour since 1980 and have as many as four second-place finishes in majors and no major victories. Ayako Okamoto (six runner-ups) and Rose Jones (4) are the other two.
Japan’s Miyu Yamashita is coming off a 2025 season in which she won the Rookie of the Year and finished second to Jeeno Thitikul in the Race to CME Globe. She also won the AIG Women’s Open, becoming the first rookie to win a major since countrywoman Yuka Saso won the 2021 U.S. Open. Players representing Japan have won four of the last 10 major championships. The only other countries with more than one major over the last 24 months are USA (2m) and Australia (2).
Japan’s Miyu Yamashita is coming off a 2025 season in which she won the Rookie of the Year and finished second to Jeeno Thitikul in the Race to CME Globe. She also won the AIG Women’s Open, becoming the first rookie to win a major since countrywoman Yuka Saso won the 2021 U.S. Open. Players representing Japan have won four of the last 10 major championships. The only other countries with more than one major over the last 24 months are USA (2m) and Australia (2).
Yamashita led the LPGA Tour in Strokes Gained:Putting in 2025, gaining an average of 1.31 strokes per round on the field. She currently ranks second on Tour in that category against this year, at +1.35 strokes gained putting per round.
Where Yamashita has regressed slightly this year is in her approach shots, losing 0.30 shots per round to the field. Last year she gained about a quarter of stroke per round with her approach game (+0.24), ranking 54th in that category.
Minjee Lee won the Rolex Annika Major Award in 2025, having the best overall performance across all five major championships. She won the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at PGA Frisco before finishing T-3 at the Amundi Evian Championship. Her worst major championship performance was at the U.S. Open, at which she tied for 22nd. Overall, she was 19-under par over all five majors in 2025, far ahead of the second best aggregate score of 10-under by Angel Yin.
Minjee Lee won the Rolex Annika Major Award in 2025, having the best overall performance across all five major championships. She won the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at PGA Frisco before finishing T-3 at the Amundi Evian Championship. Her worst major championship performance was at the U.S. Open, at which she tied for 22nd. Overall, she was 19-under par over all five majors in 2025, far ahead of the second best aggregate score of 10-under by Angel Yin.
One notable drop-off for Lee this season is her first-round scoring average. Last year, including all tournaments, she averaged 68.81 in the opening round, which was the second-best average on the LPGA Tour. However, this year she is averaging 72.40 in opening rounds, which is outside the Top 100.
One standard that Lee has maintained this year is her sand game. Having led all LPGA Tour players in sand save percentage in 2025 (61.1%), she currently ranks No. 1 in the category this year (85.7%).
Having won 23 career official LPGA events, including eight over the last five years, 29-year-old Lydia Ko is looking for her first victory in 2026. Ko has won three major championships in her Hall-of-Fame career, but only one in the last 10 seasons (2015 Evian Championship, 2016 Ana Inspiration and 2024 AIG Women’s Open).
Having won 23 career official LPGA events, including eight over the last five years, 29-year-old Lydia Ko is looking for her first victory in 2026. Ko has won three major championships in her Hall-of-Fame career, but only one in the last 10 seasons (2015 Evian Championship, 2016 Ana Inspiration and 2024 AIG Women’s Open).
Ko will be playing in her 15th U.S. Women’s Open this week. She has two Top 10 finishes at this championship: T-3 in 2016 at CordeValle (in California) and 5th in 2022 at Pine Needles.
Earlier this year, Ko shot an opening round 60 at the Ford Championship presented by Wild Horse Pass. It was the ninth 60 or lower in LPGA history and the first since Lucy Li shot 60 in the third round of the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G.
Perhaps Ko’s most salient stat is that, since officially joining the LPGA in 2014, she has ranked inside the Top 10 in scrambling percentage every year except for one. She currently ranks 6th in that category in 2026 (64.0%). For her career, she has saved par after missing a green in regulation 65.3% of the time!
Ko led all players at the 2025 U.S. Women’s Open in Strokes Gained: Putting, gaining an average of 2.49 strokes per round on the field with her putter.
Maja Stark won the 2025 U.S. Women’s Open at Erin Hills, by two shots over Nelly Korda and Rio Takeda. She became the third Swedish golfer to win this championship, joining Liselotte Neumann (1988) and Annika Sorenstam (1995, 1996 and 2006).
Maja Stark won the 2025 U.S. Women’s Open at Erin Hills, by two shots over Nelly Korda and Rio Takeda. She became the third Swedish golfer to win this championship, joining Liselotte Neumann (1988) and Annika Sorenstam (1995, 1996 and 2006).
Since Sorenstam won her 10th and final major at the 2006 U.S. Open, Stark is the third Swede to win a major championship – joining Anna Nordqvist (2009 McDonald’s LPGA Championship, 2017 Evian Championship and 2021 AIG Women’s Open) and Pemilla Linberg (2018 ANA Inspiration).
Stark played a complete game at last year’s U.S. Women’s Open, ranking 8th in SG: Off the Tee; 8th in SG: Tee to Green; and 5th in SG: Putting. She was the only player to rank among the Top 10 in all three categories.
Maja Stark shot 70 (-2) in the first round of last year’s U.S. Women’s Open, entering the second round tied for 12th place. Thirteen of the last 14 champions were among the Top-15 on the leaderboard at the end of the first round. The exception over this time was Sung Hyun Park, who was T-58 after the first round in 2017 at Trump National Bedminster.
Maja Stark shot 70 (-2) in the first round of last year’s U.S. Women’s Open, entering the second round tied for 12th place. Thirteen of the last 14 champions were among the Top-15 on the leaderboard at the end of the first round. The exception over this time was Sung Hyun Park, who was T-58 after the first round in 2017 at Trump National Bedminster.
Including Stark, each of the last six U.S. Women’s Open Champions shot 2-under par or better in the first round.
Longest active streaks of making the cut at major championships: Nelly Korda (8), Angel Yin (7), Miyu Yamashita (6), Minjee Lee (6), Rio Takeda (6) and Ally Ewing (6).
Longest active streaks of making the cut at the U.S. Women’s Open: Minjee Lee (10), Lizette Salas (9), Hannah Green (7), Ally Ewing (6), Andrea Lee (5), Celine Boutier (5) and Wichanee Meechai (5).
Longest active streaks of Top-20s in major championships: Rio Takeda (3) and Lottie Woad (3).
Over the last 20 years of this championship, the champion, on average, was competing in her sixth career U.S. Women’s Open. Last year’s winner, Maya Stark, was competing in her sixth; as was the 2025 champion, Yuka Saso.
Longest active streaks of making the cut at major championships: Nelly Korda (8), Angel Yin (7), Miyu Yamashita (6), Minjee Lee (6), Rio Takeda (6) and Ally Ewing (6).
Longest active streaks of making the cut at the U.S. Women’s Open: Minjee Lee (10), Lizette Salas (9), Hannah Green (7), Ally Ewing (6), Andrea Lee (5), Celine Boutier (5) and Wichanee Meechai (5).
Longest active streaks of Top-20s in major championships: Rio Takeda (3) and Lottie Woad (3).
Over the last 20 years of this championship, the champion, on average, was competing in her sixth career U.S. Women’s Open. Last year’s winner, Maya Stark, was competing in her sixth; as was the 2025 champion, Yuka Saso.
Here are some notable players competing in their sixth U.S. Women’s Open this week: Linn Grant, Pajaree Anannarukam, Ayaka Furue, Minami Katsu and Yealimi Noh.
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