US Women's Open Golf 2014: Daily Tee Times, Live Stream and LPGA Predictions
An epic battle between the top two players in the game might be on tap at Pinehurst No. 2 in the 2014 U.S. Women's Open.
Play begins on Thursday, and all eyes will be on Stacy Lewis and Inbee Park, ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the world, respectively.
The two women will be grouped together on the first day of the tournament, so there's no question which threesome will get the most attention in the first round.
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They will be joined by amateur player Emma Talley. No pressure on Talley, right?
The group of Park, Lewis and Talley will tee off at 8:02 a.m. ET. For a look at all the groupings and tee times, click here.
After having won two tournaments this year, Lewis seems confident she can perform well at Pinehurst:
Aside from the potential showdown between Park and Lewis, there are other intriguing storylines to follow. Here's how you can watch the action unfold.
| Thursday, June 19 | 3-7 p.m. | ESPN2 | NBCSports.com |
| Friday, June 20 | 3-7 p.m. | ESPN2 | NBCSports.com |
| Saturday, June 21 | 3-6 p.m. | NBC | NBCSports.com |
| Sunday, June 22 | 3-6 p.m. | NBC | NBCSports.com |
11-Year-Old Qualifies
Lucy Li won a 36-hole event to become the youngest qualifier for the tournament in history. While no one is expecting the youngster to challenge Park or Lewis, simply making the elite field is an extraordinary accomplishment.
If nothing else, she'll be able to build on this experience as she hopefully enjoys a long and successful career.
Here's Li speaking with the press after qualifying.
Who Wins the Duel Between Lewis and Park?
Park won the last LPGA Tour event in Waterloo, Canada, and she's the defending U.S. Open champion, so you'd have to give her the edge coming in.
That said, last year's U.S. Open wasn't played at Pinehurst. Because of the aforementioned greens, Lewis should have a great shot to play well.
While most will be focused on Lewis and Park—at least on the first day of play—the golfer everyone needs to be watching is a 24-year-old veteran.
Yes, veteran.
Michelle Wie's Time to Win a Major is Now
Check out this mind-blowing fact from Alex Myers of Golf Digest:
Experience is definitely on Wie's side, and she's playing well. She has a victory this season and eight top-10 finishes. She's already earned $868,465.00 this year, per LPGA.com.
Still, her first major championship has eluded her. If there was ever a spot for Wie to break through, it's this one. With most of the attention on Park and Lewis, Wie can play somewhat pressure-free for much of the tournament.
In previous years, the enormity of her massive potential and the atmosphere of major championships seemed to overwhelm her. But now she's older and more mature.
Recently, she said this about her career at its current state, per Luke DeCock of the News & Observer:
"I really feel like I’m kind of starting the second part of my career. It’s fun. It’s a long journey. I think in a golf career, you’re going to have ups, you’re going to have downs. It’s not a short career, it’s a very long career. I’m in it for the long run.
"
At 24, Wie is still young enough to make a lot of noise on the majors scene. The prediction is: The racket will begin at Pinehurst.
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