Women’s Open 2023 - Walton Heath

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I’m taking my 16 year old daughter to see the Open this Saturday and am really looking forward to it! Most happy that she agreed to go with me as golf isn’t her main sport, but we’ll have a great time I’m sure - might give the Ellie Goulding gig a miss afterwards though!

Anyone else going and any predictions here? My few quid is on Linn Grant but looking forward to seeing Nelly, Charlie Hull and Leona Maguire in action.
 
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Course looks nice but length of it currently seems to be keeping scores from being low.

Charley, Nelly and Lydia Ko are the ones i'd always like to see do well. Charley's round with Rick Shields on youtube is good breaking 65 but interesting some comments where she took wedge rather than putter as it just kept her mind more engaged.

Rosie Zhang will be interesting as to how she gets on. Turned pro with a bang but normal service resumed that it is hard competition now. Shows how good people like Lydia and Brooke were with their early success.
 
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BrianM

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Watched a bit today, not really sure what I make of the course to be honest.
Some cracking shots though and love the tempo of swings by the ladies.
 
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Was watching Rick Shiels video from Walton Heath and he played with Charlie Hull. He asked her why she wasn't putting when just off the green, and she replied she gets bored. Then just today I read she had ADHD.
 
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Barking_Mad

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Playing pretty long this course, over 6,800 yards and with a bit of rain too. That makes it as long as the Travelers on the PGA Tour and a couple of others.
 
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woofers

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Seriously slow, it would appear that the Sky commentary team are contracted to 6pm, so for the final 15 mins of the marque Hull / Ko / Korda group we had Christina Kim and Sarah Stirk commentating from the driving range. This group tee’d off at 13.00, so 5hrs 15min for their round.
Having said that they were waiting for the games ahead, and the first group out today were “on the clock“ within 6 holes, which took them 90 mins.
 
Steve Wilkes

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woofers said:
Seriously slow, it would appear that the Sky commentary team are contracted to 6pm, so for the final 15 mins of the marque Hull / Ko / Korda group we had Christina Kim and Sarah Stirk commentating from the driving range. This group tee’d off at 13.00, so 5hrs 15min for their round.
Having said that they were waiting for the games ahead, and the first group out today were “on the clock“ within 6 holes, which took them 90 mins.
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I followed this group all the way round today, and they waited between 5 & 10 minutes on every tee, to be fair these three didn't waste too much time once it was clear to go, and if first out I reckon would easy beat 4 hours. In the morning I dipped in to a few groups here and there, and some take an age over a putt that would be a gimme in matchplay, but they are playing for a career and a lot of money, so unless the slow play is punished it's understandable.

On the plus side, this is the first time I've seen the women live, and I haven't been giving them enough credit from watching events on TV, I knew they were good but didn't realise how good they really are.
 
Steve Wilkes

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IanM said:
Remember also, they are playing the course at a smidge under 6900 yards.

So much for "the wee course for the lassies!"
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Also the Bunkers have high faces and are normally a pitch out, also miss the first cut and that wiry heather can be a wedge back into play. It was a proper test as a major should be
 
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Steve Wilkes said:
Also the Bunkers have high faces and are normally a pitch out, also miss the first cut and that wiry heather can be a wedge back into play. It was a proper test as a major should be
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I haven't been there for a few years and they have installed fairway watering since, but can confirm that the bunkers are as you describe, so staying out of FW ones is essential. It lookd and played very linksy, but the watering may have changed that.The heather is completely different to the likes of Sunningdale's that is 6" or so and pretty much like long grass. WH's is like 12-18" mature gorse and has finger-width stems. So if you find the ball, it's generally a hack out to the fairway. They did have some growth, or die-back, issues on a couple of holes, but presumably that's been solved. Greens have pretty subtle undulations too. The only negatives are having to cross the busy road after the 1st, though that is avoided by starting on 2 and borrowing hole (or 2) from the New course, and he noise from the adjoining M25 on 2 or 3 holes.
.
 
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backwoodsman

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Have only been able to watch the highlights as my 'Now' subscription has expired - but still got to see some impressive golf by Ally Ewing. And a good show by Charlie Hull even if it did have a bit of luck thrown in. Now, all I have to do is persuade Rose Zhang to sell me her swing ...
 
SwingsitlikeHogan

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IanM said:
Remember also, they are playing the course at a smidge under 6900 yards.

So much for "the wee course for the lassies!"
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Which is the point Bronte Law made about the set up and length of competition courses for the women that makes them in many ways harder than those for men, simply down to the fact that women are significantly shorter off the tee than most men. They are playing to the same greens with the same green complex hazards, but from further out.

And great to see Charlotte Heath making the cut, one of the two ams to do so, the other being a really good Spanish girl.
 
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Barking_Mad

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The course is roughtly the same length as The Travelers on the men's PGA tour, plus Pebble Beech Pro Am and not far off a few others.
 
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