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Pebble Beach, Calif. – This week, the US Women’s Open heads to Pebble Beach.
Most golf enthusiasts are familiar with the famous course that stretches along the Pacific Ocean. As the annual host of the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, along with hosting many American majors and amateurs, it is a course synonymous with the game itself. But although the course has staged countless famous tournaments, it has never hosted the world’s best players on the women’s side.
That changes this week as the 156 competitors head to the West Coast in hopes of lifting the Harton S. Semple Cup.
Prior to this groundbreaking tournament, GOLF.com met with USGA Senior Tournament Director Shannon Rouillard to get an idea of what to expect from the course as it hosts the US Women’s Open.
Mr. Dr. Note: This interview took place May 2 at the US Women’s Open preview day at Pebble Beach Golf Links.
Zephyr Milton: We’ve obviously seen Pebble Beach host many tournaments – including the US Open – but we haven’t seen it host the US Women’s Open. What can we expect from a course preparation perspective that is different for women?
Shannon Rouillard: Well, you’ll see a lot of similar things. Obviously what will be different is the yardage – that is probably the biggest difference. We can’t expect women to play distance the way men do. But there will be a lot of similarities in her right lane width. We look forward to offering Fortified Lashes as much as we did [at the 2019 U.S. Open] As well as cutting lanes in selected bunkers. We believe it is important to offer a similar and scalable golf course as we have done in the past.
Zimbabwe: With women playing a slightly different game than men, with differences in strength between them, how does this provide opportunities to set up the course in different ways?
SR: Height is the biggest factor. As I said, there are a lot of similarities in the way we look to present the golf course. But I want to make it clear that it is not a Exactly the same setting for men. The width of the aisle does not match. While there are a few more than there were in 2019, there are still a lot that aren’t the same. Again, it’s about taking a thoughtful approach to the ladies’ game and where to beat it in the fairway. We want to make sure we deliver a job that requires precision from the tee, precision making their shots on their approach shots. So, those are the things we’re most proud of when we think about it years ago.
ZM: How often do you do You Playing the course in preparation for this preparation task?
SR: I try to play every course I set up at once. It will sometimes be twice, but I like to feel the cycle. But my game is not what these girls’ games are. I played in the US Women’s Open, back in 1999 at Old Waverly Golf Club, but my game is no longer there. What I see is that I’ve been a competitive golfer for a long time, so I feel like I have a pretty good idea of what it takes to compete mentally at a very high level.
ZM: Will you be graduating raw? At LACC we haven’t seen a mid-cut – will there be a similar look here?
SR: There will be. Intermediate cutting, primary cutting, secondary cutting.
ZM: Do you have an idea about that?
Steve: We do, but there’s a process that revolves around the weather. But we’re looking at an average cut of about 1.5 inches. Currently for the primary we are looking at 2.75 inches and then the secondary cut will be 3.75 inches.
ZM: What’s your favorite Pebble hole?
Steve: Well, I don’t want to say the logical. (laughs) I think the 13th hole is a pretty cool hole. The reverse vault L that players have to take to get to this track. This green is also quite challenging. Not to mention how small all these greens are. I’ve said it many times, but as we know, these greens are very small and look a lot different on the real fairway than they do when you hit them. There is a lot of steepness and character to these greens. While they look flatter from the runway.
I’ve learned that there are a lot of guys out there who have never played this golf course, it was very surprising. Considering the historical site that it is, I think this is something players should get past. It can be a little confusing when they play it the first time. Just getting to know what the famous Pebble Beach course is. It can be difficult for them to shift from admiring the course to getting involved in the work and focusing on preparing to win the golf tournament.
ZM: Last question, what are you most excited about about this site?
Steve: It’s the beginning of a new era for the NFL and women’s golf in general. We now have a long-term relationship ahead of us with Pebble Beach, and the fact that there will be little girls watching on TV and here on site and having this opportunity to dream of playing in the US Women’s Open in the future is really exciting to be a part of. The future is very bright for women’s golf.