U.S. Women’s Open Storylines to Watch

Emily Odwin

The 21-year-old is the first golfer from Barbados to qualify for a U.S. Open. Odwin was also the first golfer from the small island to qualify for the U.S. Women’s Amateur and the U.S. Girls Junior Championship in 2021. She went on to lead the SMU Mustangs to the National Championship appearance last season, finished second in the Latin America Women’s Amateur, and sixth at the 2025 Australian Women’s Amateur Championship. Odwin shot three-under across 36-holes at Olympic Club to qualify for the U.S. Women's Open.

Asterisk Talley

As a 15-year-old, Talley made headlines last year when she tied for low amateur as the youngest competitor in the 2024 U.S. Women’s Open. The finish earned her an exemption to Erin Hills for this year’s Championship. Talley and her partner, Sarah Lim, won the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball last year, and Talley finished runner-up in both the U.S. Women’s Amateur and U.S. Girls’ Junior. At Lancaster Country Club last year, Talley was T-5 heading into the weekend, proving she has the game to get into contention. 

Amelia Garvey

The 24-year-old owns the greatest psycho scorecard in golf history. Last year on the NXXT Golf Tour, the New Zealander recorded a par, a birdie, an eagle, a hole-in-one, and an albatross in a single round. She had a 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 on her card – a feat of impossible odds. In the final round of the Royal St. Cloud Women’s Championship in St. Cloud, Fla., the grouping of unlikely numbers added up to 66.

Garvey is making her fourth appearance in a U.S. Women’s Open. She made the cut last year at Lancaster Country Club and finished 2nd at the Epson Tour’s FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship. 

Melanie Green

In 2024, the 23-year-old Green became the first American in 28 years to win the Women’s Amateur Championship, or “the British.” Green birdied two of her closing three holes to claim the title at Portmarnock Golf Club in Ireland. With the victory came an exemption into the U.S. Women’s Open. Green was four-time All-Conference at the University of South Florida and had her best-ever finish on the Epson Tour last week at the Copper Rock Classic, where she finished T2.

Aline Krauter

The 26-year-old from Germany is a winner on the Ladies European Tour and birdied her last two holes in regulation at Grey Oaks Country Club in Naples, Fla., during the U.S. Women’s Open qualifying, which should have been good enough to earn the final qualifying position. Krauter then found out her group was slapped with a one-stroke slow play penalty and she would have to enter a 7-for-1 playoff for the final qualifying spot. Krauter ended up as first alternate, but 12 hours later, she received a call from the USGA informing her she was in the tournament. Talk about an emotional rollercoaster!

Auston Kim

Monday Q’s Ryan French says Kim has one of the best swings in the game. The 24-year-old won the 7-for-1 playoff with Krauter among her competitors. Kim is a former Vanderbilt University All-American who has played in three U.S. Women’s Opens previously. While she missed the cut in all three appearances, Kim finished third on the 2023 Epson Tour Order of Merit, and has three top-14 LPGA finishes this season. 

Lexi Thompson

Does a golfer ever really retire? This 30-year-old needs no introduction. Thompson is making her 19th consecutive U.S. Women’s Open appearance. She has a 2nd and a 3rd, but has never hoisted her national open’s trophy. 

At last year’s U.S. Women’s Open at Lancaster Country Club, Thompson announced her retirement citing mental health struggles and social media criticism. Thompson, however, has played four LPGA events this season, including The Chevron, and posted two top-14 finishes. Perhaps stepping back from the game has reduced the pressure she feels. That can only help in the U.S. Women’s Open. 

Yani Tseng

The 36-year-old from Taiwan won 12 events worldwide in 2011 and in 2012, was World No. 1. Tseng was never comfortable in the spotlight and her swing started to change. She got the yips on the greens and in 2019, Tseng injured her back and disappeared. She tried to let go of all the pressure she felt, but the yips continued to haunt her. It’s been nine years since she last played a U.S. Women’s Open. Tseng was struggling so badly with short putts that she now putts left-handed. But Tseng earned her spot using that method and we’ll get to see how it holds up on Erin Hills’ slick greens. 

Rose Zhang

Most pros try to strike when the irons are hot. 22-year-old Zhang has other ideas. Zhang was the best amateur in the world, won the 2023 Augusta National Women’s Amateur and the 2023 NCAA Championship, and became the first player since Beverly Hanson in 1951 to win her LPGA debut. Zhang won a two-hole sudden death playoff at the 2023 Mizuho Americas Open at Liberty National to capture her first LPGA event. 

At the end of that season, Zhang decided she’d go back to Stanford full-time. Zhang won the 2024 Founders Cup and has maintained a top-20 world ranking while attending a handful of classes at Stanford. This season, however, she’s only played in four LPGA events. Zhang missed the cut at last year’s U.S. Women’s Open and has only made two cuts in four starts this season. We’ll see which homework she’s been focused on this week.

‍