Pebble Beach is giving the best female golfers a chance at US Women’s Open history

PEBBLE BEACH, California: Rose Zhang and Annika Sorenstam finished nine holes of practice Wednesday and stopped to pose for a picture on the 18th green at Pebble Beach, a convergence of generations. Zhang was born the day after Sorenstam finished her historic week against the men at Colonial.

This was more about setting — the US Women’s Open, the most prestigious championship in women’s golf, played for the first time at Pebble Beach, among the most recognizable golf courses in the world.

The US Open at Pebble Beach is no longer just for men.

“I think when casual viewers of golf tune in and see that the US Women’s Open is at Pebble Beach it’s like, ‘Oh, this is something I need to pay attention to.’ Because even the casual sports or golf fan knows Pebble Beach,” two-time US Open champion Karrie Webb said.

It all starts to unfold Thursday on the course where Jack Nicklaus hit 1-iron off the pin at the par-3 17th with the wind ripping off the ocean; where Tom Watson chipped in from behind the 17th green to deny Nicklaus a record fifth US Open title; and where Tiger Woods delivered his greatest performance to win by 15 shots.

“It’s not a fair fight,” was the famous phrase Roger Maltbie of NBC Sports said of Woods in the 2000 US Open. And for so many years, the world’s best female golfers could have said the same as the Women’s Open rarely went to America’s best courses.

That’s changing in a big way.

It starts with Pebble Beach and what is expected to be the full experience. Three days of practice is likely to give way to blustery conditions, particularly on the weekend, adding to what already is regarded as the stiffest challenge in golf.

The USGA announced Wednesday the prize money is increasing to a record $11