Sahalee Country Club, Sammamish, Washington
Venue: Sahalee Country Club
- Location: Sammamish, Washington (east of Seattle)
- Par: 72
- Yardage: ~6,700 yards (major championship setup)
- Course Style: Tight, tree‑lined, heavily forested championship layout
- Architect: Ted Robinson (original), Rees Jones (renovations)
- Course Identity:
- Narrow corridors framed by towering evergreens
- Demands elite accuracy off the tee
- Penal rough and small, firm greens
- One of the most demanding tee‑to‑green tests in women’s golf
- Signature Holes:
- Par‑4 2nd: Tightest driving hole on the course
- Par‑5 11th: Risk‑reward with water lurking
- Par‑4 18th: Brutal finishing hole requiring precision on both shots
Starting Date & Time
Round 1 Tee Times Begin: Thursday, June 25, 2026 — 7:00 AM PDT
Weather Conditions (Tournament Week Forecast)
Thursday (Round 1)
- High: 72°F
- Wind: 6–9 mph W
- Conditions: Cool, overcast, soft greens
- Impact: Ideal scoring for morning wave
Friday (Round 2)
- High: 74°F
- Wind: 8–12 mph SW
- Conditions: Slightly firmer
- Impact: Afternoon wave faces tougher winds
Saturday (Round 3)
- High: 76°F
- Wind: 7 mph NW
- Conditions: Greens firming, rough drying
- Impact: Scoring slows; accuracy becomes paramount
Sunday (Final Round)
- High: 73°F
- Wind: 5 mph NE
- Conditions: Calm, championship‑level firmness
- Impact: Expect a tight leaderboard and late‑round drama
Course Conditions & Setup
- Fairways: Poa annua — narrow, running medium
- Greens: Poa annua — firming through the weekend, tricky late in the day
- Rough: 3.5–4.5 inches — extremely penal
- Scoring Outlook:
- Winning score typically -4 to -10 at Sahalee
- Par‑5s are the only real scoring holes
- Par‑3s are brutally demanding
- Expect a U.S. Open‑style grind
Injury Report (Key Entrants)
Likely to Play
- Nelly Korda — minor wrist soreness, cleared
- Jin Young Ko — recovering from illness
- Atthaya Thitikul — back tightness but expected to compete
Questionable
- Lilia Vu — shoulder discomfort
- Hyo Joo Kim — rib strain
Out
- Lexi Thompson — ongoing hand injury
- Danielle Kang — back rehab
Key Player Matchups
1. Nelly Korda vs. Jin Young Ko
- Korda’s power vs. Ko’s precision
- Sahalee favors Ko’s accuracy, but Korda’s improved driving could neutralize the course Edge: Slightly Ko
2. Atthaya Thitikul vs. Lilia Vu
- Thitikul’s elite iron play vs. Vu’s all‑around consistency
- Vu’s health is the swing factor Edge: Thitikul
3. Minjee Lee vs. Hyo Joo Kim
- Lee is one of the best drivers and iron players on tour
- Kim’s short game is world‑class Edge: Lee (course fit)
4. Rose Zhang vs. Charley Hull
- Zhang’s precision vs. Hull’s aggressive style
- Sahalee punishes errant tee shots Edge: Zhang
Tournament History
- Defending Champion (2025): Nelly Korda
- Notable Past Champions:
- Brooke Henderson (2016 at Sahalee)
- Inbee Park (2013, 2014, 2015)
- Danielle Kang (2017)
- Sei Young Kim (2020)
- Historical Trends:
- Sahalee has hosted the Women’s PGA twice (1998, 2016)
- Winning scores are typically low due to difficulty
- Ball‑striking is the single most predictive stat for success here
Recent Player Form (Selected Contenders)
Nelly Korda
- Last 5 starts: T3, 1, T12, T5, T8
- Best player in the world when healthy
Jin Young Ko
- Last 5 starts: T10, T6, T20, T4, MC
- Trending upward after early‑season inconsistency
Atthaya Thitikul
- Last 5 starts: T7, T2, T15, T9, T11
- Elite tee‑to‑green; perfect fit for Sahalee
Minjee Lee
- Last 5 starts: T4, T18, T7, MC, T3
- One of the best ball‑strikers on the LPGA
Rose Zhang
- Last 5 starts: T12, T9, T6, T20, T4
- Consistent, accurate, and poised for a major breakthrough
Betting Trends
Course Trends
- Sahalee rewards elite accuracy
- 8 of last 10 major winners at tree‑lined venues ranked top‑10 in SG: Approach
- Winning score rarely exceeds -10
Player Trends
- Korda: 4 straight events gaining strokes off the tee
- Ko: 3 straight top‑10s in majors
- Thitikul: Top‑5 in SG: Tee‑to‑Green over last 20 rounds
- Minjee Lee: Top‑3 in driving accuracy among top‑tier players
- Zhang: 5 straight top‑20s
