2026 U.S. Women’s Open Preview: Nelly Korda, Lydia Ko & Full Tee Times at Riviera

2026 U.S. Women’s Open Preview: Nelly Korda, Lydia Ko & Full Tee Times at Riviera

BySporting Chronicle Golf, Golf News

2026 U.S. Women’s Open Preview: Riviera Country Club Set for Major Test

The 2026 U.S. Women’s Open presented by Ally takes place from June 4–7 at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California, bringing together one of the deepest fields in women’s golf for the season’s most demanding major championship test.

World No. 1 Nelly Korda leads a star-studded field featuring major champions and elite international talent including Lydia Ko, Lilia Vu, Jin Young Ko, Brooke Henderson, Minjee Lee, and rising stars from across the LPGA Tour.

Riviera’s strategic layout demands precision from tee to green, with firm conditions and tight scoring margins expected to define the opening round.

Early Tee Times at the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open

Play begins at 6:45 AM, with early groups looking to take advantage of calmer morning conditions.

  • 6:45 AM – Brianna Do / Muni He / Sarah Hammett (a)
  • 6:45 AM – Catherine Park / Lucy Li / Asterisk Talley (a)
  • 6:56 AM – Karis Davidson / Meja Ortengren (a) / Mi Hyang Lee
  • 6:56 AM – Alison Lee / Paula Martin Sampedro (a) / Jasmine Suwannapura
  • 7:07 AM – Chanettee Wannasaen / Youmin Hwang / Sakura Koiwai

Mid-Morning Featured Groups

  • 7:07 AM – Maja Stark / Megha Ganne / Miyu Yamashita
  • 7:18 AM – Lindy Duncan / Sayaka Takahashi / Hyunjo Yoo
  • 7:18 AM – Minjee Lee / Lottie Woad / Nasa Hataoka
  • 7:29 AM – Madelene Sagstrom / Yan Liu / Jiwon Ko
  • 7:29 AM – Nelly Korda / Hyo Joo Kim / Hannah Green
  • 7:40 AM – Ina Yoon / Leona Maguire / Stephanie Kyriacou
  • 7:40 AM – Angel Yin / Gaby Lopez / Ruoning Yin

The standout group in this wave comes at 7:29 AM, where world No. 1 Nelly Korda tees off alongside Hyo Joo Kim and Hannah Green.

Late Morning and Early Afternoon Groups

  • 7:51 AM – Amy Yang / Ingrid Lindblad / Julia López Ramírez
  • 7:51 AM – Sei Young Kim / Linn Grant / Andrea Lee
  • 8:02 AM – Maria Jose Marin (a) / Carla Bernat Escuder / Miyu Goto
  • 8:02 AM – Jin Young Ko / Ayaka Furue / Grace Kim
  • 8:13 AM – Hailee Cooper / Siuue Wu / Dewi Weber
  • 8:13 AM – Miranda Wang / Esther Henseleit / Shuri Sakuma
  • 8:24 AM – Ally Ewing / Ana Belac / Xiyu Janet Lin
  • 8:24 AM – Brittany Lang / Danielle Kang / Sung Hyun Park
  • 8:35 AM – Becky Morgan / Olivia Mehaffey / Ina Kim-Schaad (a)
  • 8:35 AM – Yuri Yoshida / Paula Francisco (a) / Nataliya Guseva

Afternoon Wave Headliners

  • 12:30 PM – A Lim Kim / Yui Kawamoto / Megan Khang
  • 12:30 PM – Anna Nordqvist / Ashleigh Buhai / Jiyai Shin
  • 12:41 PM – Ariya Jutanugarn / Allisen Corpuz / In Gee Chun
  • 12:41 PM – Minsol Kim / Lilia Vu / Nanna Koerstz Madsen
  • 12:52 PM – Carlota Ciganda / Aki Iwai / Jennifer Kupcho
  • 12:52 PM – Yuka Saso / Lee Jeong-eun / Kiara Romero (a)
  • 1:03 PM – Charley Hull / Jeeno Thitikul / Patty Tavatanakit
  • 1:03 PM – Aphrodite Deng (a) / Rose Zhang / Yealimi Noh
  • 1:14 PM – Lydia Ko / Mao Saigo / Lauren Coughlin
  • 1:14 PM – Jenny Bae / Pajaree Anannarukarn / Yuna Araki
  • 1:25 PM – Brooke Henderson / Céline Boutier / Rio Takeda
  • 1:25 PM – Jin Hee Im / Casandra Alexander / Ai Suzuki

One of the most anticipated groups of the day comes at 1:03 PM, featuring Charley Hull, Jeeno Thitikul, and Patty Tavatanakit.

Late Afternoon Contenders and Final Groups

  • 1:36 PM – Michelle Wie West / Hinako Shibuno / Yani Tseng
  • 1:36 PM – Somi Lee / Mimi Rhodes / Fuka Suga
  • 1:47 PM – Chizzy Iwai / Hye-Jin Choi / Auston Kim
  • 1:47 PM – Minami Katsu / Anna Huang / Peiyun Chien
  • 1:58 PM – Jungmin Hong / Lauren Kim (a) / Sora Kamiya
  • 1:58 PM – Paula Reto / Veronika Kedronova (a) / Gina Kim
  • 2:09 PM – Melanie Green / Gurleen Kaur / Soomin Oh (a)
  • 2:09 PM – Minji Kang / Liqi Zeng / Zoe Cuscack (a)
  • 2:20 PM – Bronte Law / Johanna Sjursen / Bianca Pagdanganan
  • 2:20 PM – Katelyn Kong (a) / Amiyu Ozeki / Jaravee Boonchant
  • 2:31 PM – Thanana Kotchasanmanee (a) / Weiwei Zhang / Farah O’Keefe (a)
  • 2:31 PM – Addie Dobson (a) / Natsumi Hayakawa / Sofia Rivera (a)
  • 2:42 PM – Katherine Muzi / Laney Frye / Anita Lumpongpoung (a)
  • 2:42 PM – Kaleiya Romero / Jie-En Lin (a) / Kaylyn Noh

Players to Watch at the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open

Nelly Korda

The world No. 1 enters as the leading contender, combining consistency, distance control, and elite putting under major championship pressure.

Lydia Ko

A proven major champion whose all-around game is ideally suited to a demanding setup like Riviera Country Club.

Charley Hull

One of the most aggressive players in the field, capable of going low quickly if conditions soften.

Jeeno Thitikul

A rising global star known for composure, precision, and elite ball-striking in high-pressure situations.

Minjee Lee

A major winner with one of the most reliable iron games in women’s golf.

Final Preview Outlook

The 2026 U.S. Women’s Open at Riviera Country Club promises a demanding test from the opening round. With deep international talent across every wave and a course that rewards patience and precision, the leaderboard is expected to remain tightly packed early in the championship.

While Nelly Korda leads pre-tournament attention, challengers including Lydia Ko, Minjee Lee, Jeeno Thitikul, and Charley Hull ensure a highly competitive start to the week.

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