3 short game tips from AIG Women’s Open winners you’ll want to try
David Cannon
To win the AIG Women’s British Open, you need a great short game. Links golf challenges in a different way, demanding creativity and an ability to convert pars from difficult positions. And to save par, you need a short game that can stand up to the test. These three AIG Women’s Open winners, Inbee Park, Annika Sorenstam and Yani Tseng, share some of their best short game tips. Try them out, and you might find yourself getting up and down more often, too.
Annika Sorenstam
Sorenstam won the 2003 AIG Women’s Open at Royal Lytham and St. Annes, which completed her career slam. She bested Se Ri Pak by a single stroke.
In this July 2007 story, 3 Keys to Short Sand Shots, Sorenstam outlines how to best loft a bunker shot high and get it to land soft.
There are a few adjustments to make in your setup. Sorenstam says to widen your stance, as it’ll make you more stable, and squat down a little. “Lowering your center of gravity puts the bottom of the swing arc below the level of the ball, so the club can slide under it,” Sorestam says. You also need to open the face, to create more loft: “Hold the club with your right hand, rotate the face 30 degrees open, then set your left hand and reposition your right,” Sorenstam says.
When it comes to actually hitting the shot, the movement is in the upper body, not the lower body: “Make a full turn against a stable lower body,” Sorenstam says.
As you come through, use some speed, as you’re going to be hitting the sand, not the ball. “Keep your wrists firm as you splash through the sand, with the face pointing straight up,” Sorenstam says. “Turn your shoulders through so they face the target at the finish.”
Inbee Park
Jan Kruger
In 2015, Park won the AIG Women’s Open at Turnberry. The win was her 16th on the LPGA Tour and completed her Grand Slam.
Park’s putting is some of the best that the game has seen. In this 2023 Golf Digest story, she talks about her mindset as she stands over putts.
“When I stand over it, when I feel confident with the line, I feel like even if this misses, it’s probably very obvious that everyone misses this length of putt. That kind of no-pressure mindset helps,” she says.
By taking the pressure off the result, Park can stand over the putt without tension, freeing herself up to make a good stroke.
Renowned short-game coach Gareth Raflewski says that Park’s greatest putting talent is her speed control.
“If you watch the way the ball rolls into the hole when she putts, the ball doesn’t smash against the back of the hole or lip in. It’s always the right speed,” Raflewski said. “...Her distance control is so good, most of her second putts are within a foot.”
Yani Tseng
Warren Little
Tseng won the AIG Women’s Open not once, but twice. And she did it consecutively: 2010 at Royal Birkdale Golf Club and 2011 at Carnoustie.
In this 2013 Golf Digest story, Tseng shares how she executes chip shots.
“I play aggressively and attack pins, mainly because I think it's more fun. This approach has made me a good chipper, too, because you can't be hesitant over a chip shot,” Tseng explains.
While links golf often demands you play the ball down on the ground, hitting bump and runs, Tseng says she prefers a different chip shot.
“I usually float the ball up near the hole and make it check to take the green's undulations out of play,” Tseng says.
To hit this shot, she first picks a landing spot on the green.
“Then I open the clubface, gripping the wedge in my fingers. I set up with my hands high, put more weight on my left leg, and play the ball back in an open stance. Then it's just nice and smooth going back, and hold the wrists firm through impact," Tseng says.
Pair that motion with an open clubface, and you'll see the ball checkup instead of roll out.
“If I want to hit it higher, I move the ball up in my stance," Tseng says. "If I want it to roll out, I square the face at address.”