There is no better barometer of the LPGA Tour than its major championships. And as we approach this week's US Womens Open at the historic Olympic Club in San Francisco, this indicator reads: There has been a strong surge in talent in women's golf, with more and more players. talented people who come from more places than ever.

US Womens Open to Showcase LPGA Talent

© USGA

When there have been dominant players on the tour, the majors have revealed it. From 1998 to 2003, four future Hall of Famers won 18 of the 24 majors: Annika Sorenstam, Karrie Webb, Juli Inkster and Se Ri Pak. From 2001 to 2006, Sorenstam single-handedly won eight of the 24 majors.

But we are in an era of parity, with an abundance of players fighting to wear the precious label of "Major Champion". When Patty Tavatanakit, a new and powerful Thai player, won this year's ANA Inspiration, she became the sixth consecutive winner of a first major tournament and the 12th out of the last 15 Grand Slam tournaments.

And while there is no better showcase for the LPGA Tour than the majors, there is no better stage than the Olympic Club to put on this spectacle. Son Lake Couse has hosted the US Open five times, three US Amateur Championships, the PGA Tour Championship twice, one US Junior Amateur, and it will host the PGA Championship of 2028 and the Ryder Cup of 2033.

In addition to this effervescence of talent, Tavatanakit also reflects the international growth that began in earnest when Pak won the US Womens Open in 1998. The 12 people who have won a major tournament for the first time in the last 15 are from eight countries: Thailand, South Korea, Germany, Japan, Australia, England, Sweden and the United States.

ANA Inspirationa: Thailand's Tavatanakit leads the 1st round

Patty Tavatanakit - © IMG via Twitter

When Sorenstam, Webb, Inkster and Pak dominated, they also reflected the early growth of the LPGA as a world golf tour, coming from four countries: Sweden, Australia, the United States and South Korea.

This US Womens Open also marks the beginning of the era of post-pandemic major championships. Tavatanakit's ANA victory in April was the second in that championship in seven months, with South Korea's Mirim Lee winning the COVID-delayed title in September.

The last major tournament of 2019 - the AIG Women's Open - was won by Japan's Hinako Shibuno, also a novice, after Australia's Hannah Green won the KPMG Women's PGA 2019 and South Korea's Jin Young Ko won. the ANA Inspiration 2019. Ko also won the Evian in 2019.

Other early appearances at recent tournaments include American Angela Stanford at the 2018 Evian Championship, England's Georgia Hall at the AIG Women's Open 2018, South Korean Jeongeun Lee6 at the US Womens Open 2018 and the Swedish Pernilla Lindberg at ANA Inspiration 2018.

Another indicator of the explosion of global talent is the Rolex Rankings. The week before the US Womens Open, five countries were represented in the top 10 and nine in the top 25. Winning a major tournament, however, is eternal. This is how these champions will always be presented.

"It is an honor to have this title attached to my name, a major champion", Tavatanakit said after winning the ANA Inspiration. "A lot of people strive and dream of this, and I feel like it's a dream come true".

US Womens Open to Showcase LPGA Talent

Ariya Jutanugarn - © LPGA

All players, wherever they come from, look to those who came before them for inspiration. For Tavatanakit, it was Ariya Jutanugarn, who won the 2018 US Women's Open and 2016 AIG Women's Open, when she became Thailand's first major champion.

For Korean players, there's Inbee Park and her seven major titles, but it all started with Se Ri Pak, whose five major titles include the US Womens Open and KPMG Women's PGA in 1998.

"I dreamed of winning a major championship after seeing Se Ri Pak winning the first for our country"said Sei Young Kim, who won 10 LPGA Tour titles before clinching her first major at the KPMG Women's PGA 2020. "To be honest with you, I didn't know it was going to take that long"she added.

A Lim Kim, defending her US Womens Open title at the Olympic Club, was 10 when Pak won the last of his five majors in 2006. “To me, Se Ri Pak represents the history she wrote on the LPGA Tour and in the history of golf, here and in Korea. She said.

History will be written again this week at the Olympic Club. Whether the 76th US Womens Open is won by a player who already holds a major title or identifies another rising star, the championship will once again showcase LPGA Tour talent from all corners of the world - and this, endless.

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To read our last article on the same subject :

Juli Inkster 60 prepares to qualify for the US Women's Open