Should we start calling the 2025 U.S. Women’s Open frustration fest from now on? With forlorn expressions and “misplays” running amok, looks like some might be having a harder time than others. On one hand, there was Charley Hull—paired together with Nelly Korda and Lexi Thompson—whose frustrations boiled over with the latter’s slow pace of play. Notably, by the time Thompson was putting on the eighth green, the British star had already headed toward the ninth hole. Ending the round after a tedious five and a half hours, at one point Hull was also seen letting out a huge sigh as she watched Thompson standing over a putt, carrying out her pre-shot routine.

All of this despite Thompson admitting last year, “Slow play is an issue… rounds shouldn’t take more than four and a half hours, especially in threesomes.” And then there was Hull who had explicitly mentioned about certain rivals: “I’m quite ruthless, but I said, ‘Listen, if you get three bad timings, every time there’s a two-shot penalty. If you have three of them, you lose your Tour card instantly…’ I’m sure that would hurry up a lot of people.” Understandable why the star was frustrated. Yet, it is Jin Young Ko might be going through the most intense of emotions having faced one of the most treacherous obstacles in the first round of the event.

Ko made the cut for the weekend after barely scraping through with a 1-over par. She is still at a huge disadvantage as she sits 9 strokes off Mao Saigo at the top of the table. However, she nearly had a nightmare of a first round due to a terrible lie on the 14th hole at Erin Hills. Her second shot in the par-5 hole landed on the rough just outside the green. As her ball sat in the rough, about a foot from the fringe, she hit a flop that barely got to the fringe. From the looks of it, you’d think it was a mishit, but it actually wasn’t. Her hit aimed to keep the ball on the green. The ball, however, after rolling downhill, accelerated quickly, running across the entire width of the green and stopping inches from tumbling down the other side. A video tweeted by Rick Golfs showed Ko’s wedge shot from the slope.

Shocked by the fast roll, the tweet read, “Crazy stuff at the Ladies US Open at Erin Hills! Has the USGA gone too far? I mean, Ko had zero chance. Barely moved the ball, and it was gone. I say keep it spicy! Erin Hills shares traits with Shinnecock; let this course be the mean brute as well!” As Rick admitted it himself, Ko’s shot was not at all aggressive. In fact, thanks to that downhill, she was able to save the hole for a par.

One of the commentators heard over the video also explained why Ko might not have been in the wrong. “That was almost all she could do…I mean you could tell from her reaction…that she knew she had nothing from here. [She] nearly [went] completely under the ball. That’s exactly what she was trying to do to just get the ball started on that…Basically, you’re looking down the top of a rollercoaster.”

Fans, however, had a lot of things to say…

Netizens are amazed by the unforgiving greens at Erin Hills

Most of the fans were shocked at seeing how quick the greens at Erin Hills are. But all of them didn’t hold the same opinion about what Jin Young Ko had to face. Some criticized Ko for her terrible approach shot that got her in trouble. One of them commented, “That downslope was crazy. I don’t know that I’d blame the USGA on that one. Played plenty of normal courses that can bone you like that if you’re in the wrong spot above the hole.”

Others were more critical of the course itself, as it was a little too unforgiving for their liking. Someone said, “There’s NO controversy here!! There are certain spots you just don’t hit it at Erin Hills and that’s one of them on 14. It was a horrible approach shot & she got her just punishment. She’s extremely lucky it didn’t roll into the bunker because I’ve seen that happen in person.”

A few comments bashed Jin Young Ko for hitting the ball in the obvious danger zone. One of the fans said, “What’s the problem tho? Is that the hill with the invisibility cloak that the players can’t see? How is it different than a green side creek or pot bunker? Don’t hit it there, if you do, you’ll suffer the consequences.” They believe that the steep slope down the green should have been a warning enough for Ko to play a little less aggressively. Especially because the USGA had already reported that the green was rolling at 13 on the Stimpmeter. She found the greenside rough and suffered the “consequences” for it. The bunker on the other side was a much safer option for many

Speaking from experience playing at Erin Hills, someone in the comments section also mentioned, “Played it in 2022. The slopes are way more severe than they look on TV. You can get into a bad spot like that on many of the holes.” 

Taking a dig at both, Rick and Jin, someone also commented, “Don’t hit it there, the leader is -8 and the cut is +1. The USGA has absolutely not gone too far.” 38 of the 63 golfers who made the cut managed to score under par. The course or the USGA is not to be blamed for the mistakes Ko made with her approach shot in the first round.

Fortunately for Jin Young Ko, making par in the second round helped her make the cut for the weekend leg of the 2025 U.S. Women’s Open. Can they continue the momentum?