U.S. Senior Women’s Open notebook: Fox Chapel’s unique Biarritz green to test field

Swell or not so swale.

Players’ reactions are sure to be mixed depending where their tee shot lands on the par-3 17th hole this week at the U.S. Senior Women’s Open at Fox Chapel Golf Club.

The unique green, known as a Biarritz, features a deep, 4-foot swale, or gully, in the middle that makes putting somewhat — err, very — difficult depending on where the pin is placed and where players’ shots land.

The green stretches a massive 85 yards and will be attacked from an elevated tee box.

To make the 183-yard hole even more of a challenge, the green is completely surrounded by four long bunkers.

“In my mind, it’s two entirely different golf holes,” said Jill McGill, who won the 2022 U.S. Senior Women’s Open. “It is a long par-3 if the pin is in the back, and it’s a short par-3 if the pin is in the front.

“For me anyway, if that pin is in the front, I’m just trying to hit it no more than 6 or 7 yards on to the front of the green and take what it gives me, and on the back I’m trying to make that carry, and if I have a putt from the back of the green up, further up, then so be it.”

Because of the unique swale in the middle of the green, it’s common to see players chip over it from one end of the putting surface to the other.

“From the swale I would be surprised if I do anything else than putt,” McGill said. “It’s in really good condition down there. I practiced putting both to the back side and to the front side, and I think my odds of getting it up-and-down with the putter are greater than a wedge.”

Johnson aims to defend title

Trish Johnson is one of five players in the field who has hoisted the U.S. Senior Women’s Open championship trophy. She gets a chance to defend her title this week.

“Let’s be honest, it’s always a lovely feeling to come back and try and defend,” said Johnson, who also was the runner-up in 2019. “I feel I’m playing well, so I feel like I’ve got a chance at defending. There’s 15 people I could name who could win, but I feel if I play my best, I’ve got a very good chance.”

Johnson, who also won the 2017 and ’21 Senior LPGA tournaments and boasts three LPGA Tour titles and 19 Ladies European Tour victories, shot 4-under-par 284 at last year’s championship in Portland, Ore.

“I want to enjoy this week,” said the Bristol, England native, who added she has played just five rounds of golf in the past year. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t think I can win, because I do.”

Back on the course

More than 3 inches of rain fell at Fox Chapel Golf Club on Tuesday, forcing officials to cancel all scheduled practice rounds.

On Wednesday, the field of 120 players scattered across the course to get a feel for the wet terrain that awaits the rest of the week, with rain in the forecast Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

“The greens and the condition of this course for how much rain it’s absorbed in the last 36 hours is unbelievable,” McGill said. “Every single ball I played today had mud on it. But the greens are still very playable. They’re rolling very nicely. It’s top-notch.”