ERIN, Wis. — You can see it all atop the ninth tee, standing on the hill overlooking the rolling mounds and marshes. There are barns and dairy pastures in view across the sprawling Wisconsin countryside. You can see from one end of Erin Hills to the other, hardly a tree in sight from the large wooden clubhouse in the south to the 18th green in the center, and across the fields of green to the 15th hole tucked in the northeast corner. The man in charge of this event, USGA CEO Mike Whan, called it “Field of Dreams for golf.”
And atop this hill, you can see how the 80th U.S. Women’s Open was decided.
The daunting eighth hole with its steep, blind fairway is to your right. To your left is the 10th tee shot. A little further left and you have the approaches into the 11th green. Take a few steps behind you and you can look down the valley that is the 12th hole in between mounds, and the downhill par-3 No. 13 around a marsh.
But if you just look in front of you, you see the true stage of this U.S. Open. You see the gorgeous downhill par-3 — No. 9 — a 145-yard shot surrounded by slopes and bunkers with just the tiniest little landing spot to save you from rolling away.
It’s at this spot where you see contender after contender roll from the center of the green, off to the…
