The fifth and final women’s Major of the season takes place this week and there is another star-studded field battling for the coveted trophy at Walton Heath Golf Club, Surrey.
Although not the usual links course associated with a British Open, Walton Heath still has similarities to that type of test and straying off the beaten track could cause all sorts of problems over the four rounds.
- Ashleigh Buhai to win each-way
- Ayaka Furue to win each-way
- Andrea Lee to win each-way
South African Set For Strong Defence
Ashleigh Buhai will be aiming to join Taiwan’s Yani Tseng as the only female player to retain the British Open title since it became one of the Major championships in 2001.
The South African claimed the spoils in dramatic fashion last year after coming through an enthralling play-off and she has taken that momentum into 2023, landing the ShopRite LPGA Classic in June and posting a further five top-ten finishes.
A major defence of Walton Heath GC is the thick heather that covers a large proportion of the course, therefore putting a premium on finding the fairways, and Buhai is 11th in driving accuracy to boost her claims of triumphing this week.
The greens are also difficult to read with subtle breaks and slopes, so it bodes well that the reigning champion is 12th in putting average, which could potentially give her an advantage over several of her rivals.
ASHLEIGH BUHAI TO WIN EACH-WAY
Japanese Can Break Major Duck
Ayaka Furue has been getting closer to breaking her Major duck, with top-ten finishes at the PGA Championship and US Open adding to her fourth place at the 2021 Evian Championship.
The 23-year-old Japanese is sixth in driving accuracy and she has also been wielding the flat stick with authority, as she ranks 16th in putts per green in regulation and 20th in putting average.
Furue will be making only her third British Open appearance this week but she has shown an affinity for this type of test, having finished tied-20th in 2021.
The world number 18 hasn’t properly clicked into gear in her last two outings - recording finishes of T36 and T47 - but she has saved her best for the biggest events this season and appears to thrive when the pressure is ramped up.
Lee a decent each-way bet
American Makes Each-Way Appeal
One final player who makes each-way appeal is American Andrea Lee, whose best Major finish came at the British Open in 2020 when she was tied-seventh.
The 25-year-old is another fairway finder, ranking eighth in driving accuracy, and she arrives at Walton Heath following a tied-ninth finish at the Scottish Open.
Lee looks to have the game suited to this week’s test and a solid performance in Surrey would come as no surprise.
