Muirfield on the mind

The 2022 AIG Women’s Open is almost upon us, with Muirfield set to host the Championship for the very first time.

The final major of the year has understandably been a hot topic at this week’s Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open.

We round up some of the best quotes from the world’s leading players.

World number one Jin Young-Ko was unequivocal when asked which part of her game she is working on the most, replying: “Putting.”

“I played well at the Evian (Championship) and I hit some great golf shots and I missed a lot of putts,” she added. “But I finished well and I got confidence from the Evian. So I'm looking forward to it.”

Ko also sparked amusement when discussing one of her favourite things about visiting the United Kingdom.

“I really love to visit here. I love to eat sausage rolls,” she explained.

“(I first had one) in 2019 at the Pro-Am for the AIG Women’s Open. I didn’t know about sausage rolls, but I had one bite with the brown sauce … so good!”

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Georgia Hall has already experienced the thrill of winning the AIG Women’s Open and the Champion of 2018 cannot wait to compete in the event once again.

“It’s my favourite event of the year. It always has been, wherever we play,” said Hall, who finished tied second behind Anna Nordqvist at Carnoustie last August.

“Muirfield, I've heard a lot of great things about the course. I've heard it's one of the best from other players and people that I've spoken to.

“So I think it's definitely what women's golf needs, for us to play the best golf courses in the world, and to play the first women's professional golf event there is going to be really big for us.”

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Defending Champion Nordqvist is another to have heard only good things about Muirfield.

“I'm looking forward to see it for myself on Monday but from what I've heard it's going to be a great venue,” said the Swede.

“It's two of the most fun weeks all year, this one and the next. I’m just enjoying being back in Scotland and playing links golf and soaking it all in.

“I still feel like I’m pinching myself that I pulled through last year to win. It’s a childhood dream for me. As a European golfer, it’s the Championship that we all want to contend in, and to go and win it, it still feels pretty surreal.”

The first major winner of the year was Jennifer Kupcho at the Chevron Championship and the 25-year-old is full of excitement ahead of her fourth AIG Women’s Open appearance.

“I'm really excited to play some more links golf,” said Kupcho.

“I think when I came out here as a rookie, I didn't play very well, and quite frankly, I just said I don't like links golf. But then last year with my caddie, he was very experienced in links golf and I think that really helped me with the whole experience to learn how to play it.

“Now I'm excited to go play instead of dreading the weather and dreading the golf course and everything like that. I think it's just a whole different experience now that I've played well last year at the AIG Women’s Open to be able to be here again and play links golf, I'm excited for it.”

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The defending champion at the Scottish Open, Ryann O’Toole, is also delighted to be back in Scotland.

“I love playing golf here. St Andrews is probably my favourite place on earth,” said the American.

“I feel like Scotland lives and breathes golf, and it is like the motherland of the birth of golf, and I feel it.”

O’Toole admits she was “terrified” by her first experience of the AIG Women’s Open at Royal Liverpool in 2012, when she missed the cut after scores of 83 and 80.

“It was just a wake-up call,” she said. “It was just one of those weeks where I felt so out of my element and so not in control. I needed to figure out how to conquer this style of golf.”

O’Toole has since recorded top-25 finishes in the AIG Women’s Open at St Andrews and Royal Lytham & St Annes, as well as claiming a breakthrough maiden LPGA Tour title at Dumbarnie Links in last year’s Scottish Open.

“I figured out how to really play in the wind and I just I feel like I know how to play with it versus having it play me, and I think that's the key point,” O’Toole continued.

“I figured out how to hit this low tee shot. That really helps. If it's howling wind, I can just get that driver off the ground. It can fly 20 yards off the ground and run forever.
“I feel like getting the ball in play is huge, staying patient is huge.”