US Women’s Open Golf 2025 Tips: Ryu is Jamie’s top choice

A $12,000,000 purse is a good way to keep things interesting as the top female golfers head to Wisconsin this week for the US Women's Open at the Erin Hills Golf Course.

Our golf tipster Jamie Worsley is here as always with his in-depth preview along four more each-way selections for the week. A 14/1 shot leads the way but he also had bets at 40, 80 and 250/1. You can check out his US Women's Open Betting Tips with us right here at Betfred Insights...

Following Mao Saigo's success in last month's Chevron Championship, the women's majors start to come thick and fast, with another four scheduled across the next 10 weeks. 

We have trips to PGA Frisco for the KPMG Women's PGA Championship (June 19–22), the Evian Resort for the Evian Championship (July 10–13), and Royal Porthcawl for the Women's Open (July 31–August 3) on the horizon—but this week, it's time for the U.S. Women's Open, which will take place at Erin Hills for the first time 

TOURNAMENT HISTORY 

The US Women's Open began as a match-play event in 1946 but was swiftly switched to a regular stroke-play event the following year. It has taken place every year since, which makes it the oldest of the five current women's majors. 

The two most successful players in the tournament's history—both reaching four victories—are Hall of Famers: Betsy Rawls (1951, 1953, 1957, 1960) and Mickey Wright (1958, 1959, 1961, 1964). 

We then have a quartet of three-time winners: Annika Sorenstam (1995, 1996, 2006), Babe Zaharias (1948, 1950, 1954), Susie Berning (1968, 1972, 1973) and Hollis Stacy (1977, 1978, 1984). Among the list of 10 two-time champions are legends such as Betsy King (1989, 1990), Juli Inkster (1999, 2002) and Inbee Park (2008, 2013). 

Last five winners: 

• 2024 (Lancaster Country Club) 

Winner: Yuka Saso (-4) 

Runner-up: Hinako Shibuno (-1) 

• 2023 (Pebble Beach) 

Winner: Allisen Corpuz (-9) 

Runners-up: Charley Hull, Jiyai Shin (-6) 

• 2022 (Pine Needles) 

Winner: Minjee Lee (-13) 

Runner-up: Mina Harigae (-9) 

• 2021 (Olympic Club)  

Winner: Yuka Saso (-4, playoff) 

Runner-up: Nasa Hataoka (-4) 

• 2020 (Champions Golf Club) 

Winner: A Lim Kim (-3) 

Runners-up: Jin Young Ko, Amy Olson (-2) 

Yuka Saso added her name to that long list of multiple US Women's Open winners in 2024, as she overcame a three-shot 54-hole deficit to run out an impressive three stroke winner at Lancaster Country Club. She returns to defend this week. 

THE COURSE 

The striking Erin Hills was designed by the trio of Dana Fry, Mike Hurdzan and Ron Whitten, and opened for play in 2006. It continues to be worked on frequently, with the returning Dana Fry overseeing several small renovations alongside Jason Straka. 

The course will host this event for the first time this year, but it did stage the men's version of the US Open in 2017, when Brooks Koepka ran out a dominant four-shot winner with a finishing score of -16. 

As a par 72 measuring 6829yds, Erin Hills is the lengthiest US Women's Open layout since Broadmoor Golf Club in 2011. It possesses 4x par 3s (139-184yds), 10x par 4s (321-447yds) and 4x par 5s (510-550yds). 

The lay of the land at Erin Hills was formed by a glacier 10,000 years ago, and the architects moved as little earth as possible to create a hilly and naturally-rugged golf course. This exposed layout features frequent, often dramatic elevation changes and due to tall mounds that line many holes, blind shots are commonplace.  

The two primary defences are wind, and the abundance of bunkers—of which there are 132 in total—that blend into the organic landscape. It's not uncommon to cop a bad lie in these unkempt "erosion bunkers" and with many steep-faced, they represent true hazards. 

Uneven lies are a regular occurrence in the extremely wide, sloping fairways. That plethora of bunkers strategically litters the landing areas and avoiding that, three-and-a-half-inch-thick fescue rough could prove just as punishing. 

Bentgrass covers the rest of the course, including on the firm and fast putting surfaces. These greens are reasonably large (average of 6,500 sq. ft.), often elevated and/or multi-tiered, and the subtle breaks can outfox many. False-fronts and run-off areas feed into those bunkers, while the majority are surrounded by closely-mown chipping areas, which makes for a demanding short-game test. 

Clear birdie chances here are few and far between. Two of the par 5s should be easily reachable in two for most of the field, but the other two—the 550yd 7th and the 541yd 18th—are long. There is also the potentially drivable 321yd par 4 2nd hole and a couple of other shorter par 4s, but overall, par is a good score on many of these holes. 

Erin Hills is an exciting US Open test, and the USGA will be desperate to get the optimum conditions to enable it to be at its best this week. 

THE WEATHER 

The event is forecast to begin in cool breezy conditions on Thursday, with temperatures of around 19C and gusting winds up to 27mph. There are a few light spots of rain, which shouldn't impact the course too much, but it is predicted to be heavier on Friday, and alongside a constant breeze and gusts of 30mph+, this should be the most difficult day of the event. 

However, the rain is replaced by sunshine over the weekend and with the winds calming down, a potentially receptive course should be at its most scorable. 

KEY STATS 

• SG: Approach/Greens-in-Regulation 

• Driving Distance 

• SG: Around-the-Greens 

• SG: Putting (bentgrass) 

Players are going to need to be sharp in every area this week, but the potential for wet conditions on a long golf course should play into the hands of the longest, high-quality ball strikers. This should be especially prevalent in the calmer weekend conditions. 

That being said, the field will need to survive the windier weather in the first two rounds, which will likely mean lower greens-in-regulation percentages and only the most confident chippers will excel from these tight lies. Meanwhile, anybody with form on bentgrass surfaces should also be favoured. 

CORRELATING EVENTS 

There is no substitute for previous form on challenging, long major championship layouts, but those events are few. I've checked out a number of courses in use on the LPGA and while there is no perfect comp, there are some courses which share characteristics more than others. 

Buick LPGA Shanghai (Qizhong Garden Golf Club) 

Qizhong Garden Golf Club is another course designed by Dana Fry. It's an undulating layout with wide fairways and frequent elevation changes. The large greens use bentgrass and it is littered with big, imposing, strategically placed bunkers. 

Black Desert Championship (Black Desert Resort) 

The Black Desert Resort is an exposed course with wide, gaping fairways, and the moderate elevation creates some blind tee shots. Its bentgrass greens are large and speedy, while most of them are surrounded by tightly-mown chipping areas. 

Mizuho Americas Open (Liberty National) 

Liberty National is flatter than Erin Hills, but as an exposed venue with heavy bunkering, fast, elevated bentgrass greens and thick fescue rough, it could work as a comp this week. 

Kroger Queen City Championship (TPC River's Bend) 

TPC River's bend is a generally open and hilly course of a similar length to this week's major host. Significant elevation changes cause blind shots—both off the tee and in approach—and the large, subtly-contoured bentgrass greens should provide players with a similar challenge on the greens. 

TOURNAMENT TRENDS 

• Seven of the previous 10 renewals have gone the way of first time major winners. 

• Eight of the last 10 winners had previously recorded a top-25 finish in the event. 

• Seven of the last 10 winners had a top-five major finish. 

• Only four winners since 2015 had won earlier that year. 

• Six of the last 10 winners had zero career LPGA wins to their name. 

• Seven of the last 10 winners finished inside the top 20 on their last start, and only one came into the event off the back of a missed cut—Yuka Saso last year. 

THE FIELD 

This year's US Women's Open field will be graced by 46 of the top 50 players in the world. Nelly Korda still leads the way as the No. 1 player, with Jeeno Thitikul (No. 2), Lydia Ko (No. 3), Ruoning Yin (No. 4) and Haeran Ryu (No. 5) rounding out the top five. 

2024 and 2021 champion Yuka Saso returns to defend. She is joined by a further seven former winners: Allisen Corpuz (2023), Minjee Lee (2022), A Lim Kim (2020), Jeongeun Lee6 (2019), Ariya Jutanugarn (2018), Sung-Hyun Park (2017) and In Gee Chun (2015). 

There were also 26 qualifiers held around the world—23 in the U.S and one each in Italy, China and Japan. Among the names to book their place in this week's field via those qualifiers are five-time major winner Yani Tseng; former No. 5 amateur Amari Avery; and 2022 Women's US Amateur winner Saki Baba. 

SELECTIONS 

Market leaders: Jeeno Thitikul 15/2, Nelly Korda 8/1, Haeran Ryu 14/1, Ruoning Yin 16/1, Jin Young Ko 20/1, Lydia Ko 22/1, Minjee Lee 22/1 

Jeeno Thitikul heads the betting this week, closely followed by Nelly Korda. However, there's one player who I've been eyeing up for this event and as the best tee-to-green player on tour, I'm taking Haeran Ryu to turn her consistent major performances into a victory this week. 

Haeran Ryu 

Ryu has recorded seven top-20 finishes in her nine starts this season, and claimed a third LPGA title with a dominant five-shot success in the Black Desert Championship two starts ago. That was a win made all the more impressive by the fact that she had endured a disappointing Sunday the previous week at the Chevron Championship, our first major of the year—where she entered the final round with a one-shot lead but shot a 76 to finish 6th. 

Her stats this season speak for themselves. She ranks 1st on tour from tee-to-green, 2nd in greens-in-regulation, 3rd in approach and off-the-tee—showing both power and accuracy with driver. Her short game is sharp, ranking 20th around-the-greens and although the putter would be her weakness, it's a positive that each of her three LPGA wins have come on bentgrass. 

Ryu's win in the Black Desert Championship this year bodes well—as do 3rd-place finishes in the Mizuho Americas Open and Kroger Queen City Championship—and having finished inside the top 10 in five of the last 10 majors, she looks ready to make her breakthrough at Erin Hills. to suggest that she should enjoy this week's layout.  

A Lim Kim 

A Lim Kim is another player excelling from tee-to-green this season. She disappointed when we were on her in the Chevron Championship, but I'm happy to give her another shot at this favourable course, where she could become a two-time US Women's Open winner. 

Kim was one of the form players in the early part of the season. She won the Tournament of Champions on her first start of the new year and followed with five straight top-20s. Her form hasn't been quite as strong in her last three starts, but there's little to be concerned about and she has the game to bounce back here. 

The Korean ranks 14th from tee-to-green this season and has excelled off-the-tee and around-the-greens, ranking 9th in each area. She has the power to handle this mammoth layout, ranking 10th in driving distance and sitting 36th in greens-in-regulation, her all-round statistical profile is strong. 

Kim burst onto the scene with a win in the 2020 US Women's Open, and playing some of the best golf of her career in the last seven months, she has every chance of doubling her tally this week.

Patty Tavatanakit 

Patty Tavatanakit has been playing consistently in 2025. Alongside her excellence from tee-to-green, this former major champion looks a big price at a venue that should suit her power-packed game. 

Patty has recorded five top-25 finishes in eight starts this season. Her best effort came when finishing 4th in the Honda LPGA Thailand and she arrives here after a 14th-place finish in the Mizuho Americas Open on her latest start. 

The Thai star ranked 3rd in approach and inside the top 20 from tee-to-green at Liberty National. This is representative of her performances on the whole this season, as she is gaining strokes in all areas to rank 16th on tour from tee-to-green. She hits plenty of greens, ranking 31st and positioned at 33rd in driving distance, her case writes itself. 

Tavatanakit announced herself to the world when she finished 5th in the 2018 US Women's Open as an 18-year-old amateur. She's continued to rack up top-10s in majors in the pro ranks, and having won the 2021 Chevron Championship (then the ANA Inspiration), she is a proven major winner.  

Saki Baba 

I'm going to finish with a punt on LPGA rookie Saki Baba. This former No. 2 amateur has performed with credit so far in 2025, and with the help of her length off the tee and sharp short-game skills, she can hit the top of the leaderboard at a huge price. 

Baba had a short but sparkling amateur career, the highlight of which was winning the 2022 US Women's Amateur. She collected numerous high finishes in top-class events throughout 2022 and 2023—finishing 2nd in the Australian Women's Amateur, 4th in the World Amateur Team Championship, 5th in the Augusta National Women's Amateur, and 6th in the Women's Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship. 

She turned pro in 2023 and spent much of last year on the Epson Tour, before a 24th-place finish at Q-Series earned her a promotion to the LPGA this season. 2025 began in encouraging fashion, finishing 17th in the Blue Bay LPGA and 6th in the Ford Championship. Although she hasn't fired in her three LPGA starts since, she showed that her game was still in a good place when taking the solo spot in the US Women's Open qualifier in Hawaii. 

Baba ranks inside the top 25 in driving distance and scrambling and is also a solid 39th on the greens. Her US Women's Amateur win should also serve her well, as an event often played on US Open-style courses, and that year's host, Chambers Bay—an exposed heavily undulating layout—certainly has enough in common with Erin Hills to suggest that she should enjoy this week's layout.  

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