8 Takeaways From The 2026 US Women's Open
Our tour experts recap on a brilliant US Women's Open, where Nelly Korda triumphed to win her fourth Major title
'Inside The Ropes' is the chance for Golf Monthly's expert team to share its honest thoughts on the biggest subjects in the game. This week, we recap the 2026 US Women's Open.
The 2026 US Women's Open was one of the best in recent memory, as World No.1 Nelly Korda birdied the 71st hole to edge out Charley Hull and Gaby Lopez by two strokes.
Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles was making its hosting debut and it made for a fantastic tournament with a stacked and interesting leaderboard.
Korda's winning par putt somehow lipped in to give her a fourth Major title and first US Women's Open trophy. She has now won two consecutive Majors and four tournaments already in 2026.
So what were our key takeaways from the week? Our tour experts have their say - and be sure to let us know your view in the comments section below.
Brilliant galleries
Where are the crowds? A question that is often asked when watching women’s golf on TV, including the Majors. But that couldn’t be said about Riviera.
The crowds were pretty impressive, and no doubt this was greatly appreciated by the players and fans alike.
There was an electric atmosphere building all afternoon before Korda’s final putt lipped in to seal the title, bringing loud cheers.
Okay, maybe it wasn't quite as loud as a men’s Major, but what an improvement. If the LPGA can keep pairing iconic venues with Sunday drama like this, the audience will only continue to grow.
Big characters
Charley Hull and Gaby Lopez are very similar characters in that they both play aggressive golf and live for the Majors.
Lopez took a month off to prepare for the US Women’s Open, and finishing tied second alongside Hull, the gamble almost paid off.
You can see how much she craves a Major title. Her passion and the way she plays are entertaining and infectious, and I’m sure her bold-coloured skorts are a direct reflection of her personality!
I’m a big Korda fan, but more characters like Hull and Lopez, please.
Charley Hull reminds me of Tommy Fleetwood
They're popular, they play great golf and so many people are desperate for them to finally climb over the top and take hold of that first big win.
For Fleetwood, it was a PGA Tour title. For Hull, it's a Major.
Even though he'd won multiple times on the DP World Tour and had helped Team Europe lift the Ryder Cup, US fans and media couldn't quite crown him without a PGA Tour win after several near misses. Then he won the FedEx Cup.
A very similar narrative is building for Hull. She's won three LPGA Tour titles, but the next logical step to make her one of the world's absolute best (and maybe a rival to Nelly Korda) is to lift a Major.
Again, she's had chances but hasn't quite managed to cross the line in front. Last week wasn't a failure for Hull - far from it. She played the aggressive and entertaining golf that makes her a fan favorite but it just wasn't enough.
Hull didn't lose the US Women's Open, Korda won it.
Nevertheless, the frustration is probably building for Hull and the comparisons with Fleetwood's strife to land a PGA Tour title were only strengthened as a result.
What a crop of amateurs!
There were four amateurs in the top-25 of the US Women's Open this year, which is an insane stat.
Each of the four players - Kiara Romero, Maria Jose Marin, Aphrodite Deng and Asterisk Talley - shot 68 or better (Talley carded a 66) in one of their rounds, with Romero leading the group after finishing T6th.
It seems as though this era in particular has an unreal crop of amateur talent and that can only be a good thing as the women's game continues to grow.
How long will it be until an amateur wins a Major? I honestly wouldn't be surprised if it happened this year.
Women's game is strong!
The women's game is in a really strong place at the moment.
With Nelly Korda’s brilliance, Charley Hull’s character and the breadth of talent in the chasing pack, the US Women’s Open showcased the best the game has to offer.
The men’s game could learn plenty from the Major Championship that we just witnessed.
Let the women play more PGA Tour venues
I would also love to see more women’s events at iconic PGA Tour venues.
Riviera was majestic last week, but the way the field played it showed a different edge to famous course.
How cool would it be to see the top talent on the LPGA Tour take on Pebble Beach, TPC Sawgrass and Bay Hill?
Riviera was amazing - as always - but even better in the summer
We've previously called for the Genesis Invitational to move later in the year, and the US Women's Open was proof that the course is so much better when it's firmer. It was also lovely to see the sycamore trees out on the par 3 16th.
Riviera is undoubtedly one of the best courses we get to see in professional golf and the USGA should be applauded for taking the championship there.
It has also got me incredibly excited for the 2028 Olympics. The men's, women's and mixed team competitions are going to be some of the best golf we'll see that year.
Stop the clashes
Despite it being one of the best women's Majors in recent years, it was a shame that it clashed with one of the best events on the PGA Tour - the $20m Signature Memorial Tournament, hosted by Jack Nicklaus at Muirfield Village.
Thankfully the Memorial finished halfway through the back nine of the US Women's Open, but it still took plenty of the limelight, newspaper columns, website articles and social media coverage throughout the week.
If we really want to grow the women's game, the PGA Tour needs to stop scheduling huge events up against women's Majors. The same will happen later this month when the KPMG Women's PGA Championship will fight for coverage against the $20m Travelers Championship.
It's not good enough.
What do you think? Join the conversation in the comments section below.