US Women’s Open: Amy Olson set to make major start while seven months pregnant at Pebble Beach | Golf News

Minjee Lee returns as defending champion after last year’s four-shot victory, while Pebble Beach hosts the US Women’s Open for the first time; watch throughout the week live on Sky Sports and the Sky Sports Golf YouTube channel

Amy Olson will be playing the US Women’s Open while seven months pregnant

Amy Olson insists she will enjoy every moment of her US Women’s Open appearance this week at Pebble Beach, where she will be competing while seven months pregnant.

Olson has only made three LPGA Tour starts this season due to her limited playing status, finishing tied-61st at the Lotte Championship in April before back-to-back missed cuts last month at the Shoprite LPGA Classic and Meijer LPGA Classic.

Those early exits came after the 30-year-old produced a remarkable performance at a 36-hole US Open Women’s qualifier earlier in May, posting rounds of 72 and 66 to claim a two-shot victory at Somerset Country Club in Mendota Heights, Minnesota.

Olson was already nearly six months pregnant during that qualifying event, with the American – who announced her pregnancy on social media in March – consulting other mums on the LPGA Tour before deciding whether to attempt to earn her major spot.

“I was started texting like every mum on the PGA Tour going, ‘how long did you play? At what point did you stop?’ And I was hearing [that the] max is kind of right around 28 to 32 weeks, depending on how you carry, who you are,” Olson told the LPGA Tour website.

“I computed that at the [US Women’s Open], I will have just completed 30 weeks. I’m like, ‘okay, it’s possible’. I’m hearing that it’s doable. It’s Pebble [Beach] of all things. So I’m like, ‘You know what, let’s just go out there and see what happens’.”

Olson has previously finished runner-up in majors twice before, at the 2018 Evian Championship and this event in 2020, although has lower expectations ahead of her seventh US Women’s Open start.

“I’m trying not to have too many expectations,” Olson added. “I’m hoping to soak it all up and enjoy being on the property. Then being able to do it with a baby, all of it is a little bit overwhelming. I’m trying not to put too much pressure or expectation on it, but truly just enjoy the week.”

Korda takes inspiration from video game!

Nelly Korda is relishing the opportunity to tackle Pebble Beach’s iconic par-three seventh, having previously only ever played the hole on a games console until this week!

Nelly Korda is looking to bounce back from her shock missed cut at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship

Korda revealed in her pre-tournament press conference that her and brother Sebastian Korda, a professional tennis player, would take on the hole while playing the EA Sports’ ‘Tiger Woods PGA Tour’ game.

“We used to always play Pebble, and my favourite hole was always [hole No] seven on that game,” Korda explained, having nearly made a hole-in-one on the par-three during Monday’s practice round.

Pebble Beach has previously hosted the US Women’s Amateur but never the US Women’s Open, with this week’s debut following the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship being held at Baltusrol Golf Club – another historic golf course – last month.

“It’s amazing to see we’re making these massive strides forward, not only with the increase in purses but the venues we get to play, the rich history that we just get to be a part of,” Korda added.

Can a European enjoy success Stateside?

Annika Sorenstam is the only European winner of the US Women’s Open this century and it has been five years since Georgia Hall became the most recent British female major champion, although plenty of players will want to change that disappointing record this week.

Albane Valenzuela, who represents Switzerland, was the only European player inside the top 10 at the ANA Inspiration, while Leona Maguire failed to convert a 54-hole lead into a victory at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

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Highlights from the fourth round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship where Ruoning Yin claimed her maiden major.

Maguire is a winner on the LPGA Tour this season and is likely to contend again in California, while Stephanie Meadow, Carlota Ciganda and Anna Nordqvist all claimed a share of this in their most recent major appearance.

Celine Boutier is the only European winner other than Maguire on the LPGA Tour this season, although Hall came close with back-to-back runner-up finishes earlier in the campaign.

Watch the US Women’s Open throughout the week live on Sky Sports. Live coverage begins on Thursday from 8pm via the red button on Sky Sports Golf and 11pm on the main channel, with all the coverage also available on the Sky Sports Golf YouTube channel.