Teenager Ong excited by US Women's Open challenge

"Nelly Korda is on fire - even seeing her on the range or just in the same area as me will be pretty cool. " Norfolk golfer Nellie Ong is still coming to terms with the fact she will be competing against the world's best when the US Women's Open begins at the Riviera course in Los Angeles on 4 June. The 19-year-old from Hingham came through the final qualifying event with a 36-hole level-par score of 144, good enough for second place in a field of 78.

"I'm just trying to comprehend that I'm actually playing in a major, which is pretty amazing," Ong told BBC Radio Norfolk. "I still haven't really got my head around it but it means so much to me. I think there's about 150-odd people who will be competing from around the world and there's probably only six or seven English players.

" Korda returns to world number one with Chevron win Ong was chosen for the East regional squad as a 13-year-old but these days studies at Ohio State and is part of the US university golf circuit. She has never played the Riviera Country Club course, which is more than 7,000 yards in length and will also host the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics golf tournament. "They haven't sent out the yardages for the course yet so I'm not entirely sure how long it will play but obviously I've looked at pictures," she said.

"Usually about a week or a week and a half before, a course strategist sends me through all the details of the course so I'll know more detail closer to time but it looks amazing. "I'm sure it's going to be very, very challenging - it's a US Open, which is renowned for being the toughest test of golf so it's going to be a lot of fun playing it. " Sweden's Maja Stark won the 2025 US Women's Open by two shots at Erin Hills [Getty Images] 'It's going to be pretty surreal' Although new to major championships, Ong can call on some well-known players for advice, including world number 10 Lottie Woad, with whom she has played foursomes in the past.