US Women's Open: Girls' interest, attendance sign of growing game
Girls' interest sign of growing game
Erin Hills is hosting the U.S. Women's Open. You can see why executives are excited about the future of the game just by looking at who's there to watch.
ERIN, Wis. - Erin Hills is hosting the U.S. Women's Open, and this week, you can see why executives are so excited about the future of the game just by looking at who's there to see it.
Families connect
What they're saying:
Behind the third tee at Erin Hills, connection is about as organic as the course itself.
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"Golf's been such a great part of my life, and to bring my daughter out here to see an awesome golf course and to share a special moment with my family, it's a lot of fun," said Brian Cota of Mequon. "To see the women play – they're all phenomenal."
The Cota family at the U.S. Women's Open
The 2025 U.S. Women's Open isn't just an outing for the Cota family; 9-year-old Gabby Cota just decided she wants to play, too.
"I just like watching all the golfers," she said. "When my dad started playing, I thought it was kind of cool."
Growing the game
What's next:
It's that interest that has Mike Whan, CEO of the U.S. Golf Association, teeing up headlines with quotes like: "If women's golf was a stock, you'd buy it, because it's what's driving our game forward."
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According to the USGA, women make up a third of all golfers in the country. Sixty percent of new players since 2020 are girls and women.
"The future of the game looks more female than it's ever looked in 100 years. That's an exciting time," said Whan.
US Women's Open: Hartford golf team volunteers, interacts with pros
Erin Hills is giving local high school golfers an experience to volunteer and interact with the U.S. Women's Open players and caddies.
You can feel it anywhere you look at Erin Hills, not just in the players competing, but in the families gathered to see them.
"It's something that you'll take forever. That's what's so cool about golf," said Brian Cota. "You can play very actively or you can play it passively. For me, it's just getting her introduced into a game that you can play your entire life."
US Women's Open tickets
What you can do:
The third round of the U.S. Women's Open tees off on Saturday before the final round on Sunday. Tickets are still available.
The Source: Information in this report is from FOX6 News interviews and the USGA.