All eyes are on The Riviera Country Club this week as the best golfers in the world compete at the U.S. Women’s Open presented by Ally in the second Major of the year.
Dubbed the toughest test in golf, the LPGA tournament features a total purse of $12 million with the winner taking home $2.4 million on Sunday. This makes it the largest payout in women’s golf.
A field of 156 players will tee up in the Californian sun including 27 Ladies European Tour (LET) members.
Sweden’s Maja Stark, a six-time LET winner, was victorious last time out securing her maiden Major at Erin Hills in Wisconsin. Stark secured a two-shot victory in 2025 pipping World No 1 Nelly Korda to the title to become the first European since compatriot Annika Sörenstam to claim the U.S. Women’s Open title.
The 26-year-old is back to defend her crown in Los Angeles teeing up alongside a host of Solheim Cup stars including England’s Charley Hull, the World No 7, captain Anna Nordqvist, Sweden’s Linn Grant, Spain’s Carlota Ciganda, Olympic Silver Medalist Esther Henseleit and last week’s winner on the LPGA, Celine Boutier from France.
Another Solheim Cup star, Madelene Sagstrom, will be competing while nearly seven months pregnant.
Lottie Woad is also present at The Riviera Country Club having ascended to World No 6 following her victory at the Kroger Queen City Championship a few weeks ago. A two-time LET winner, Woad is now the highest ranked European in the world.
On the core LET front, current Order of Merit leader Casandra Alexander will be teeing up looking to extend her great record in Majors. The big-hitting South Africa has had five runner-up finishes on the LET in 2026 – a series of close calls which has seen her rise to World No 31 in the Rolex Rankings.
Canada’a Anna Huang will also be carrying the LET’s hopes at the 81st staging of the competition in Los Angeles. The 17-year-old earned her spot in the field after topping the qualifier at Somerset Country Club last month. Since then, Huang won the Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco to become the youngest player in LET history to reach three victories on the circuit.
Solheim Cup hopeful and 2024 LET Order of Merit winner Chiara Tamuburlini tees up at The Riviera Country Club having finished T14 at the U.S. Women’s Open last year. She is joined in the field by another Team Europe optimist and LET Rookie of the Year winner Mimi Rhodes from England.
Elsewhere, Northern Ireland’s Olivia Mehaffey, France’s Lois Lau and England’s Bronte all tee up having earned their spots in the field at the European Qualifier at the Buckinghamshire Golf Club. Lau is making her Major debut and tees up following a T5 finish at the Jabra Ladies Open de France last week – her best result to date on the LET.
The Riviera Country Club is on hosting duties for the first time in the prestigious competition this week. The venue adds its name to a growing list of elite sites to staged the U.S. Women’s Open including Pebble Beach and the Olympic Club. The Riviera Country Club will also host men’s and women’s golf at the 2028 Olympic Games. The week the stunning course will play to a par-71 at 6,699 yards.
The 81st U.S. Women’s Open gets underway on Thursday morning in California. Keep up to date with all the action throughout on our socials – @LETgolf on Instagram, TikTok and X, and Ladies European Tour on YouTube and Facebook
