Amy Olson has already played in one women’s golf major while pregnant. She will get the chance again.
Olson will be seven months pregnant when she competes this weekend at the U.S. Women’s Open Championship at Pebble Beach Golf Links, the first time a women’s major tournament is being held at the iconic course.
“It’s one of those memories I’ll talk about forever,” Olson said, according to Golfweek, part of the USA TODAY Network. “And the fact that it’s at Pebble is really cool. The fact that there will be two of us walking down the fairway together, that’s pretty awesome.”
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Olson qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open May 22 while six months pregnant when she earned medalist honors with a 6-under par at Somerset Country Club in Mendota Heights, Minnesota. This will be the final tournament she plays in before the birth of her child.
“I’m kind of going on a day-by-day, week-by-week strategy here,” Olson said.
Olson, who turns 31 on July 10 said the only playing experience she has at Pebble Beach came last winter on a simulator.
This season, Olson has played in only two events, missing the cuts in each. While Olson said that the baby was initially giving her some “serious golf mojo,” she acknowledged that her distance driving off the tee has diminished. She said she has also had to adjust her mechanics so that her right arm doesn’t contact her belly during the follow through on her swings.
“Truly I like couldn’t tell you either way,” Olson said of her future following maternity leave. “I want to see how it goes. I have been super, super blessed and thankful for everything I’ve been able to do out here. I love it, and I think I probably will never do what I’ve done over the last nine years, playing 25 weeks out of year.
“But will I ever come out again? Couldn’t tell you.”
Olson’s best finish in majors has been a tie for second, achieved twice, including the 2020 U.S. Women’s Open. Olson held the lead in the back-9 during the final round of that tournament before being overtaken by A Lim Kim. Olson had been dealing with the sudden death of her father-in-law earlier that weekend.
