Mizuho Americas Open 2025 Tips: Five picks for New Jersey success

After a disappointing final round in the season's first major, where she held the 54-hole lead before slipping to sixth, Haeran Ryu responded in perfect fashion at last week’s inaugural Black Desert Championship.

There was no repeat of the Sunday woes that she suffered in the Chevron Championship, as the Korean converted her second third-round advantage on the spin in emphatic style, cruising to a five-shot victory in Utah.

The LPGA now heads back to the East Coast and New Jersey, where a strong field has assembled at Liberty National Golf Club for the Mizuho Americas Open.

Star golf tipster Jamie Worsley is back with five more outright selections for glory ranging from 22/1 to 100/1! Here are his Mizuho Americas Open 2025 Tips...

TOURNAMENT HISTORY 

The Mizuho Americas Open returns for its third renewal this year, having first been held in 2023. Liberty National Golf Club will again assume hosting duties, as it has done in the previous two years.

The first edition of the event was one for the history books, as Rose Zhang defeated Jennifer Kupcho in a playoff to win on her professional debut—the first player to achieve this feat since Beverly Hanson in 1951.

Nelly Korda succeeded Zhang as champion last year, beating Hannah Green by one stroke to record her sixth of seven victories in 2024. She returns to defend this week.

THE COURSE

Liberty National Golf Club opened in 2006 and was designed by Bob Cupp and Tom Kite. Sitting opposite New York Harbour, the course showcases spectacular views of the Statue of Liberty and Manhattan Skyline throughout.

It previously hosted The Northern Trust on the PGA Tour in 2009, 2013, 2019 and 2021. In addition, it was also the stage of the 2017 Presidents Cup, when Team USA dominated their International counterparts in a 19-11 victory.

The course plays as a par 72 and measures 6690yds. It possesses 4x par 3s (152-193yds), 10x par 4s (328-427yds) and 4x par 5s (497-542yds).

Located close to the coast and largely exposed, Liberty National is susceptible to wind. This has played its part in the previous two renewals, which have been won in scores of -9 in 2023 and -14 last year.

This gently-rolling venue has a somewhat linksy feel, with that open nature combined with over 100 bunkers and manmade mounds framing the holes throughout.

The fairways are generous, but that plethora of sand often pinches the landing areas. Meanwhile, although the first and second cuts of Kentucky bluegrass rough aren't overly penal, more troublesome native fescue awaits those who are most wayward off the tee.

The bentgrass greens are some of the smallest on tour and will be setup to play at a speedy 12 on the stimp. With the majority of them elevated, positioned at an angle to the fairway and littered with run-offs, approach play is the biggest challenge at the course.

That being said, the bountiful greenside bunkers aren't too demanding to play out of, and with only moderate undulations making the greens relatively easy to read, this is not one of the tougher short-game tests the players will encounter this season.

Risk/reward is a prominent feature, with several out-of-bounds areas and water coming into play on 13 holes. This includes three of the four par 3s and par 5s, as well as the potentially drivable 328yds par 4 16^th, which will play as short as 261yds at some point this week.

Liberty National is a challenging but fun course, with some of the most photographable backdrops on the LPGA. It can turn into a brute of a test if that wind strikes from the Atlantic, and we'll see what conditions are in store for the players this week.

THE WEATHER

There has been some light rain in the buildup to the event, and the wet weather is forecast to continue into the tournament, with a passing thunderstorm predicted for Thursday and some reasonably heavy rains on Friday.

That makes way for drier, brighter and warmer weather over the weekend, but it is likely to be accompanied by stronger winds. This looks particularly punishing on Saturday, when we could see gusts at upwards of 40mph.

KEY STATS

• SG: Approach/Greens-in-Regulation

With small, elevated greens that are littered with run-offs, it's no surprise that quality iron play is a standout requirement at Liberty National.

Nelly Korda was strong across the board when winning last year, which included ranking 25^th in approach and 12^th in greens-in-regulation. Her nearest challenger, Hannah Green was even better in this regard, ranking 2^nd in approach and 1^st in GIR; 3^rd-place finishers, Ariya Jutanugarn and Gabriela Ruffels ranked top 25 in both areas.

In 2023, the top of the leaderboard was dominated by the most prolific green-hitters in the field. Winner, Rose Zhang ranked 2^nd in GIR; runner-up, Jennifer Kupcho ranked 1^st; 3^rd-place finisher, Haeran Ryu ranked 3^rd.

Furthermore, Ryu also led the field in approach—an area in which each of the top six ranked within the top 25.

• Scrambling

Trying to hit these small greens in windy conditions is going to be a challenge and like previous renewals, this week's field will need to be adept at scrambling.

Last year, Nelly Korda ranked 7^th in scrambling on her way to victory. Although it wasn't a stat in which runner-up, Hannah Green performed well, each of the four 3^rd-place finishers ranked inside the top 15; Jennifer Kupcho and Gabriela Ruffels were particularly impressive, ranking 1^st and 4^th respectively.

There was also evidence of this in 2023, as Jennifer Kupcho, Haeran Ryu, Ayaka Furue, and Aditi Ashok—all of whom finished inside the top five—ranked within the top 10 in scrambling.

• SG: Putting (bentgrass)

Tee-to-green play has far outweighed putting in importance in both previous editions. That being said, 11 of the 12 players to finish inside the top six across each renewal has gained strokes on the greens; therefore, proven bentgrass putters should be respected.

• Par 5 Scoring

Lastly, the par 5s are particularly scoreable here and around a venue at which clear birdie chances are scarce, it's a necessity to take your opportunities on these holes.

CORRELATING EVENTS (COURSES)

Shoprite Classic (Seaview – Bay Course)

Seaview's Bay Course was renovated by one half of Liberty National's design team, Bob Cupp. Also located close to the coast in New Jersey, it's another exposed, linksy venue with bentgrass greens, close to 100 bunkers and Kentucky bluegrass/fescue rough.

Notable correlating form:

Nelly Korda:

Mizuho (1^st) / Shoprite (5^th)

Jennifer Kupcho:

Mizuho (2^nd, 3^rd) / Shoprite (2^nd)

Ariya Jutanugarn:

Mizuho (3^rd) / Shoprite (5^th)

Ayaka Furue:

Mizuho (4^th, 7^th) / Shoprite (2^nd)

Ashleigh Buhai:

Mizuho (7^th) / Shoprite (1^st)

2022-2024 Founders Cup (Upper Montclair Country Club)

Upper Montclair Country Club is located just 16 miles from Liberty National and although a tighter, tree-lined track, its speedy and elevated bentgrass/poa greens, bluegrass/fescue rough and prevalence of water compares to this week's host.

Notable correlating form:

Rose Zhang:

Mizuho (1^st) / Founders (1^st)

Gabriela Ruffels:

Mizuho (3^rd) / Founders (3^rd)

Haeran Ryu:

Mizuho (3^rd) / Founders (4^th)

Aditi Ashok:

Mizuho (4^th) / Founders (5^th)

Ashleigh Buhai:

Mizuho (7^th) / Founders (3^rd)

Arkansas Championship (Pinnacle Country Club)

Pinnacle Country Club's tree-lined routing does contrast to the exposed nature of Liberty National. However, with very generous fairways, bentgrass greens and lots of water in-play, it can still prove a worthwhile comp this week.

Notable correlating form:

Nelly Korda:

Mizuho (1^st) / Arkansas (3^rd)

Jennifer Kupcho:

Mizuho (2^nd, 3^rd) / Arkansas (7^th)

Haeran Ryu:

Mizuho (3^rd) / Arkansas (1^st)

Aditi Ashok:

Mizuho (4^th) / Arkansas (8^th)

Eun-Hee Ji:

Mizuho (4^th) / Arkansas (2^nd)

Yuna Nishimura:

Mizuho (7^th) / Arkansas (3^rd)

Women's Open & Women's Scottish Open

Lastly, as an exposed, heavily bunkered course with wide fairways and situated not far from the coast, it's no surprise to see traditional U.K links performers go well at Liberty National.

Notable correlating form:

Nelly Korda:

Mizuho (1^st) / Women's Open (2^nd)

Ariya Jutanugarn:

Mizuho (3^rd) / Scottish Women's Open (1^st, 4^th, 5^th)

Gabriela Ruffels:

Mizuho (3^rd) / Scottish Women's Open (6^th)

Ayaka Furue:

Mizuho (4^th, 7^th) / Scottish Women's Open (1^st, 2^nd)

Ashleigh Buhai:

Mizuho (7^th) / Women's Open (1^st)

Leona Maguire:

Mizuho (7^th) / Women's Open (4^th, 8^th)

THE FIELD

This week's field will involve 19 of the top 25 players in the world, including each of the top five, with #1 Nelly Korda joined by Jeeno Thitikul (#2), Lydia Ko (#3), Ruoning Yin (#4) and Haeran Ryu (#5).

Nelly is the defending champion, and it's also great to have 2023 champion, Rose Zhang back, as she makes her return from a neck injury that kept her out of the first major of the year.

Meanwhile, talented 18-year-old, Yana Wilson will tee it up after gaining her first pro title on just her fifth start on the Epson Tour last week. She won't be walking into this week blind, as she won the junior version of this event at the same course back in 2023.

Mizuho Americas Open Odds

SELECTIONS 

Market leaders: Jeeno Thitikul 8/1, Nelly Korda 8/1, Haeran Ryu 11/1, Ruoning Yin 16/1, Lydia Ko 16/1, Rio Takeda 16/1

A strong field usually means a high-class winner and my five selections include four major champions, beginning with Japan's Ayaka Furue.

2 pts Ayaka Furue each-way (1/4 - 5 places) @ 22/1

Furue is without doubt one of the most consistent performers on any tour, having missed just one cut across her last 40 starts. She finished inside the top 25 in each of her first six this season, going closest when 2^nd in the HSBC Women's World Championship and although her results have looked a little less impressive in recent weeks, they have come at venues that wouldn't appear the best fit for her talents.

Her game is built around precise ball striking and a top-quality short game. She's the third-straightest driver on tour and ranks 19^th in greens-in-regulation, 17^th in scrambling and 21^st on the greens. All of which enables her to play well in demanding conditions.

Furue finished 4^th here on debut in 2023 and returned to finish 7^th last year, shooting six under-par rounds out of eight. As a winner in Scotland, and having finished 2^nd in the Shoprite Classic, she ticks every box this week.

1.25 pts Celine Boutier each-way (1/4 - 5 places) @ 40/1

Celine Boutier went well when we were on in the Black Desert Championship, finishing 12^th. She also put up a much improved effort at Liberty National last year after missing the cut in 2023 and with a game to suit, I’m taking her to step up her performance again.

Boutier has made 10 starts this season and missed just the one cut, which came in the unsuitable Chevron Championship. Her best result came when 7^th in the Founders Cup and she also reached the quarter-finals of the T-Mobile Match Play.

The short game has looked strong, ranking 20^th in scrambling and 22^nd on the greens. She’s also a solid 32^nd in approach and ranking 10^th in par 5 scoring, she should be able to make the most of the best scoring chances at this course.

Boutier missed the cut here in 2023 but left that behind her last year, finishing 21^st. Wins in the Scottish Women’s Open and Shoprite Classic suggest she can go even better and on current form, I’m expecting her to do just that this week

1 pt Somi Lee each-way (1/4 - 5 places) @ 60/1

Five-time KLPGA winner, Somi Lee is looking much more comfortable at this level after a testing rookie season on the LPGA in 2024. She went well at Liberty National on debut last year, and as one of the best scramblers on tour, she has the skillset to cope with the demanding conditions this week.

Lee has made nine starts in 2025 and has yet to miss a cut. Her best finish was an impressive runner-up showing at the Saudi Ladies International, and she enters this week having placed inside the top 25 in her last three LPGA starts—the most recent of which is a 12th-place finish at last week’s Black Desert Championship

The Korean is a strong iron player, ranking top 40 in approach and greens-in-regulation. However, on those rare occasions she does miss the putting surfaces, she has a short game that can get her out of trouble, ranking 4^th in scrambling. An ideal combination for this week’s challenge.

Lee opened with a 66 in New Jersey to hold the first-round lead on debut last year, before eventually finishing 28^th. Although she lacks comp form on the LPGA, her strong record on the exposed, sand-laden courses in the Middle East is a major plus, adding a 7^th-place finish in Saudi last year, to that runner-up finish in 2025.

1 pt Ashleigh Buhai each-way (1/4 - 5 places) @ 70/1

Ashleigh Buhai has been solid if unspectacular in 2025. That being said, as a player with good form at Liberty National, as well as possessing an ideal skillset for the challenge and bundles of comp form, she has a perfect profile for this event.

Buhai began the season well, finishing 10^th in the Tournament of Champions and 11^th in the Founders Cup, but in four subsequent stroke-play starts, she has failed to crack the top 30. However, I believe she will put that right this week.

She’s another player whose game is built on accurate ball striking, ranking 21^st in approach, 31^st in driving accuracy, and 44^th in greens-in-regulation this season. Meanwhile, her top-25 rank in scrambling further underscores her suitability for this layout.

Buhai finished 21^st here in 2023 and upgraded that performance last year, finishing 7^th. She handled the wind to claim the 2022 Women’s Open at Muirfield and with a win in the Shoprite Classic also to her name, as well as a 3^rd-place finish at Upper Montclair, her comp form strengthens her already strong case.

1 pt Patty Tavatanakit each-way (1/4 - 5 places) @ 100/1

Thailand’s Patty Tavatankit arrives on the East Coast after missing her last two cuts, though I’m not too concerned. She’d previously performed soundly at the beginning of this season and with a top-10 finish at Liberty National, this former major winner has the class to make a mockery of her three-figure price.

Tavatanakit lacked a little sharpness in the opening event of the year, finishing 20^th in the 32-woman field in the Tournament of Champions. She improved her level on her next start in Saudi, finishing 21^st and backed that up with a 4^th-place finish in Thailand; whilst prior to those two missed cuts she’d produced solid performances in the Ford Championship and T-Mobile Match Play.

She has been strong from tee-to-green this season, ranking 16^th and although the driver remains her biggest weapon, the irons have also looked sharp, ranking 14^th in GIR. A rank of 9^th around-the-greens shows she can get herself out of trouble when missing these small greens, and with the putter displaying small signs of improvement, her all-round game looks in a tidy place.

Patty narrowly missed the cut on debut in 2023 but returned in much better shape last year, finishing 7^th. She’s recorded top-seven finishes in both the Women’s Open and Women’s Scottish Open, and having won in Saudi last year, she is no stranger to success on wind-exposed layouts.

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