Morgan Pressel visits Lancaster CC ahead of U.S. Women's Open

 

LANCASTER, Pa. – She's best known for becoming the youngest-ever winner of an LPGA major championship in 2007.

 

Eight years later, Morgan Pressel is still getting questions about her historic title. And she's still approaching majors like the 18-year-old who once walked away a winner.

 

"The more I can get out here and learn the golf course ahead of time, the better it will be come week of ... It's kind of like doing homework," Pressel said of the upcoming U.S. Women's Open at Lancaster Country Club. "You know, you don't want to cram for the biggest test of the year the three days before. You kind of want to ease into it."

 

Easing into this year's Open involved playing a practice round Wednesday, which simultaneously served as a personal meet-and-greet with the course and its quirks. Lancaster CC is hosting its first-ever major July 9-12 when the Open comes to town, and the best in women's golf have been making their rounds in recent weeks to get acquainted with how the course plays. The impression Pressel came away with after 18 holes was very similar to that left on her practicing predecessors.

 

"I think it's a great golf course. It's definitely just like a typical U.S. Open golf course," Pressel said. "There are going to be opportunities to make birdies, but even if you get too aggressive with some of those opportunities, especially on the front nine, you can stare a big number in the face. The back nine's just full of some good, really long holes, lots of hills."

 

Pressel, who is currently ranked No. 26 in the world, is most likely to lose her youngest-ever record to No. 1 Lydia Ko. Ko turned 18 last month and will have two more major championships after the Open to take the all-time title, should she fail to win at Lancaster or Westchester Country Club on June 11-14 during the KPMG Women's PGA Championship.

 

But that doesn't bother Pressel.

 

"It will (happen) eventually, but that's what they're there for. (Records) are made to be broken," Pressel said. "Of course Lydia has the best opportunity to do that, but there's gonna be another up-and-coming young player, I'm sure, in the next few years that will give it a run. And someday, somebody will beat that record."

 

The Florida native says she prefers the old style of golf that Lancaster CC features, greens leading to the next tee box and zero houses on the premises. Additionally, Pressel said, the course will force players into a patient approach and the need for a strong short game; parts of her game she feels very confident in.

 

"I think the elevation changing coming into some of the greens is going to be one of the most challenging parts of the golf course," Pressel said. "I know it's going to play hard. I know it's going to be very challenging, and you have to be patient. And those are pretty much three guarantees."

 

One of the few other guarantees Pressel made while speaking to reporters was that she would not return to the course prior to the Open. Instead, she'll be looking to build momentum in upcoming events and then hopefully be able to enjoy the biggest test of the year as much as she did doing her homework Wednesday.

 

"I really enjoyed getting out there to play today, getting to hit different shots," Pressel said. "You hear a lot about (Lancaster Country Club). Some of my friends have already come here and said it was a great golf course, So it was nice to come out and see it for myself."

 

This article was written by Andrew Callahan from Lebanon Daily News, Pa. and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network.