US Women's Open: Major tees off with record purse, iconic venue and breakout stars

The US Women's Open starts on Thursday and the third major of season boasts an iconic venue, record purse and intriguing storylines.

The purse is $11m (£8.7m), an increase from last year's $10m (£7.9m), with the winner getting $2m (£1.6m) - matching the biggest payout in women's golf.

Players are also making headlines as 2014 champion Michelle Wie West announced this is her final tournament.

And American Amy Olson will tee off at Pebble Beach seven months pregnant.

Olson told the LPGA Tour website: "I started texting like every mum on the PGA Tour going, 'how long did you play? At what point did you stop?' And I was hearing that the max is kind of right around 28 to 32 weeks, depending on how you carry, who you are.

"I computed that at the US Women's Open, I will have just completed 30 weeks. I'm like, 'OK, it's possible'. I'm hearing that it's doable. It's Pebble Beach of all things. So I'm like, 'You know what, let's just go out there and see what happens'."

Olson, 30, has only started three LGPA Tour events this year. She finished joint 61st at the Lotte Championship in April but did not make the cut in June's Shoprite LPGA Classic and Meijer LPGA Classic.

Her best finish at the Women's US Open was joint second in 2020 and she faces a strong field in trying to improve upon the result.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7o67CZ5qopV%2BovbC%2B02ieqKSWZIN3fZBwbnJv