Mizuho Americas Open (2025)

So for those that follow me on X (@ThomsonGolf94,) they would have seen how close we were to getting another winner for the year with Esther Henseleit (50/1) up there in contention all week. Rio Takeda (25/1) made a late charge for it with a 65 and 66 over the weekend to finish fifth as well. They were no match for the insane robot-like-machine that is Haeran Ryu who put on an absolute clinic in front running in Ivins, Ohio at Black Desert Championship to record a third win on tour. The victory also marked the third straight season with a win, pretty impressive stuff by the prolific South Korean star.

The Tournament

This week the players move to The Big Apple as they hit the smoke on the Hudson River. It's New York City week, well technically a 15 minute boat ride to New Jersey, but you know what I mean right? It's the Bob Cupp and Tom Kite designed Liberty National that again is the venue in it's third instalment of the Mizuho Americas Open. Twenty-four of the top AJGA players will, as always, tee alongside the pros and I still think players love it more than hate it, especially when they see the views of the Manhattan skyline in the background and of course, the Statue of Liberty.

The National will play about 6,690 yards, as a par-72 with A-4 Bentgrass Greens. Weather is expected to be pretty cold with gusts coming into play in spells which will of course test the players with also a 90-percent chance of rainfall due on Friday. The weather should make it interesting!

This of course was the scene of history in 2023 with Rose Zhang winning on her professional debut at Liberty National, the first to achieve that feat since Beverley Hanson in 1951.

Last year's edition was a very strange one to say the least with what felt like a never ending amount of tournament withdrawals with over ten players withdrawing ranging from illness, virus and food poisoning.

Event History

2024 - Nelly Korda (-14) by 1 shot to Hannah Green

2023 - Rose Zhang (-9) by Playoff to Jennifer Kupcho

2024 Mizuho Americas Open Top 20 & Ties

1) Nelly Korda (-14)

2) Hannah Green (-13)

3) Jennifer Kupcho, Gabi Ruffels, Ariya Jutanugarn & Chanettee Wannasaen (-10)

7) Marina Alex, Ayaka Furue, Jeeno Thitikul, Yuna Nishimura, Sei Young Kim, Patty Tavatanakit & Bianca Pagdanganan (-9)

14) Andrea Lee, Lauren Coughlin, Sophia Popov, Nanna Koertz Madsen, In Gee Chun, Nasa Hataoka & Megan Khang (-8)

2023 Mizuho Americas Open Top 20 & Ties

1) Rose Zhang (-9)*

2) Jennifer Kupcho (-9)

3) Haeran Ryu (-8)

4) Aditi Ashok, Ayaka Furue & Eun Hee Ji (-7)

7) Yuka Saso, Ash Buhai & Leona Maguire (-6)

10) Jeeno Thitikul, Steph Kyriacou & Danielle Kang (-5)

13) Jin Young Ko, Madelene Sagström, Minjee Lee & Cheyenne Knight (-4)

17) Jenny Shin, Esther Henseleit, Emily Kristine Pedersen & Anna Nordqvist (-3)

Current Form of Top 12 Players (Last 8 Events minus Matchplay bar Coughlin)

Jeeno Thitikul - 24/9/4/12/2/3/1/1

Nelly Korda - 14/16/22/7/2/5/1

Haeran Ryu - 1/6/MC/17/18/14/14/35

Ruoning Yin - 2/2/56/33/21/26/MC/4

Rio Takeda - 5/59/11/MC/MC/1/21/9

Lydia Ko - 52/6/1/48/6/3/14

Angel Yin - 13/37/13/WD/1/10/18/2

Ayaka Furue - 48/30/20/17/3/2/20/13

Minjee Lee - WD/14/7/2/11/28/4/30

Miyū Yamashita - 20/30/3/MC/11/8/21/4

Lauren Coughlin - 18/3/2/44/18/50/19/7

Esther Henseleit - 2/18/3/44/MC/52/33/27/42

The following players were on the shortlist for this event

Ayaka Furue

Angel Yin

Esther Henseleit

Sarah Schmelzel

Chanettee Wannasaen

Hannah Green

Jennifer Kupcho

So Mi Lee

Steph Kyriacou

Auston Kim

Picks

Angel Yin 22/1 (6pl, William Hill):

Current Form

• 13th Chevron Championship

• 37th JM Eagle LA Championship

• Last 4 T-Mobile Matchplay

• 13th Ford Championship

• WD HSBC Women's World Championship

• 1st Honda LPGA Thailand

• 10th Founders Cup

• 18th Tournament of Champions

Liberty National Form: 53rd/21st

Stats

• 1st SG: Total, 6th Putting, 52nd T2G, 44th ATG, 10th Greens in Regulation, 2nd Scoring Average, 8th Par 4's, 10th Par 5's

While the favourites have their own cases to win even with Nelly not firing on all cylinders at the moment, I'm certainly not stupid enough to rule her out of defending her title. Ronni Yin has gone back to her dangerous best but I'm going to start with the equally as dangerous Angel Yin who for me just, has the 'it' factor about. Ever since she's came back from a broken ankle last year she's been nothing short of marvellous contending in most events and shot a tournament record -28 at Honda LPGA Thailand to defeating the talented Akie Iwai.

Of course this is a tougher course at Liberty National but she certainly has the game to compete with the elite and when that putter works, it's lights out field. Angel Ranks first for Strokes Gained: Total, sixth for putting and tenth for greens in regulation which will work around here for sure.

Quality shot maker that should be in the mix this week, capable of the birdie blitz from nowhere. Major player.

Sarah Schmelzel 50/1 (5pl, Ladbrokes)

Current Form

• 12th Black Desert Championship

• 6th Chevron Championship

• 28th JM Eagle LA Championship.

• 17th Ford Championship

• 5th Blue Bay LPGA

• 34th HSBC Women's World Championship

• 60th Honda LPGA Thailand

• 23rd Founders Cup

Liberty National Form: MC/58th

Stats

• 27th SG: Total, 30th T2G, 27th Approach, 40th OTT, 57th Putting, 38th Accuracy, 43rd Greens in Regulation, 10th Bogey Avoidance, 14th Par 4's

• Ranked 1st for Driving Accuracy at Black Rock Desert Champs last week, 6th/6th in 2 of last 3 for Scrambling, 2nd for Putting at Chevron & 13th for Greens in Regulation at Black Desert Championship

One player that has been really consistent for a while now is Sarah Schmelzel. I think it is only a matter of time before that breakthrough win comes for the 30-year-old U.S. star.

Schmelly ranks well in mostly all metrics this year and was impressive at Chevron Championship finishing T6th. Bogey avoidance will be a useful stat this week and Sarah ranks tenth for that stat.

Sarah and her caddy Shota Takada have great chemistry together and seems to be remapping the rewards with major consistency. Decent price at 50s.

Chanettee Wannasaen 50/1 (5pl, Ladbrokes)

Current Form

• 6th Black Desert Championship

• 18th Chevron Championship

• 20th JM Eagle LA Championship

• MC Blue Canyon Ladies (KLPGA)

• 30th Blue Bay LPGA

• 45th HSBC Women's World Championship

• 24th Honda LPGA Thailand

• MC Founders Cup

Liberty National Form: 3rd last year

Stats

• 75th SG: Total, 51st T2G, 46th Putting, 20th ATG, 40th OTT, 45th Par 5's

• Ranked 18th for Tee to Green & 30th for Approach at Chevron, 36th & 17th in last 2 for Greens in Regulation, 17th & 12th in last 2 for Scrambling

While you can always make a case for the superstar Aussie that is Hannah Green, even though she was second here last year, she just isn't playing as well at the moment than what you would think. She's barely contending and backdoorong top 10's but next is the hugely talented 2x LPGA Tour title winner Chanettee Wannasaen. Her form is really coming to the fore as of late with no worse than 30th in her last four LPGA Tour events, including a sixth last week in Utah and 18th at Carlton Woods for Chevron.

Although her stats for the year aren't eye popping by any means, her iron play and long game are improving of late and does have a low round in her at any time and anywhere she pleases. She was third here at The National last year on debut which was very impressive.

Two wins at 21 years-of-age on the biggest tour shows you just how good this Thai star really is. She goes a little under the radar for me, underrated.

Jennifer Kupcho 55/1 (5pl, BetVictor)

Current Form

• 20th Black Desert Championship

• MC Chevron Championship

• MC JM Eagle LA Championship

• 38th Ford Championship

• 29th HSBC Women's World Championship

• 11th Honda LPGA Thailand

• 34th Founders Cup

• 12th Tour Championship

Liberty National Form: 3rd/2nd

Stats

• 61st SG: Total, 24th OTT, 38th Putting, 86th T2G, 44th Greens in Regulation, 53rd Accuracy, 20th Par 5's

• 40th for Greens in Regulation & 19th for Scrambling at Black Desert Championship, 20th & 8th for Putting at Ford Championship & HSBC Women's World Champs.

Now of course, I had to throw in a course horse and none speaks more volumes than 2022 Chevron Championship winner Jennifer Kupcho who has an absolute loving for Liberty National. She finished third last year and lost out to Rose Zhang in a the playoff in 2023. There must be something about New York City street food or the NYC air that just lights up Jenn's eyes round this part of the world as she also has a second at Founders Cup when it was in New Jersey too.

It's been a slightly average, if not disappointing start to the season for someone of Kupcho's high standards with a couple more missed cuts than she had for most of last year occurring over the last couple of tournaments before an encouraging 20th last week at Black Desert Championship in Utah. That should give her a little bit more confidence going back to a venue where she loves. Her off-the-tee game is where she excels at and should be suited yet again to Liberty National. Could it be three Top 10's in a row here in New Jersey? Let's just see!

Auston Kim 125/1 (6pl, William Hill)

Current Form

• 10th Black Desert Championship

• 45th Chevron Championship

• MC JM Eagle LA Championship

• 49th Ford Championship

• 12th Blue Bay LPGA

• 39th HSBC Women's World Championship

• 14th Honda LPGA Thailand

• MC Founders Cup

Liberty National Form: 41st last year

Stats

• 57th SG: Total, 28th T2G, 13th OTT, 49th ATG, 66th Approach, 4th Driving Distance, 26th Greens in Regulation, 20th Par 5's

• Ranked 6th for Driving Accuracy at Black Desert Championship (usually a weakness), 23rd & 8th in last 2 for Greens in Regulation, 52nd & 34th for Putting Average

My outside shot this week is a player I really like and who has an awesome game which is the very explosive Auston Kim. She had settled in well into her second season on LPGA Tour with two Top 15's in her last five starts including tenth last week at Black Desert Championship.

Auston, known for her distance off-the-tee. ranks fourth for driving distance and 13th off-the-tee which you will need to keep it in play at Lib National. She impressed with her sixth for driving accuracy last week in what is a struggle for her normally. The main downfall which I think she would even admit is her putting ranking a measly 126th this year so far for SG: Putting. Obviously the putter really needs to start working for Auston to have any chance but she's capable of being streaky.

Showing signs of the player that we all thought Auston Kim could be and even though it's only her second season on tour and it's so early on in the Race to Solheim Cup standings for 2026 she's early on overtaken the likes of Jenn Kupcho and Megan Khang in ninth for an early spot. Maybe a spot on that team could be there but for the time being always tempting to take her at triple figures. Baller.

Thanks to all for reading as always. I will be taking a little sabbatical from the previews for a little while as I prepare for a massive opportunity coming up in the next month or so with the podcast. Peace out! Let's get win number three!