Pinehurst Resort & Country Club’s Course No. 2 is the focal point of world golf again this week. Hawaii will have three players in the U.S. Women’s Open when it tees off Thursday in the Village of Pinehurst, N.C.

Martin Kaymer lapped the field at the men’s U.S. Open on Sunday, held on the same course in consecutive weeks for the first time. Pinehurst, shockingly, seems to be all but divot-free this week despite enduring more than 1,000 rounds last week.

"There were no divots and the greens were in perfect shape …," Hawaii’s Michelle Wie said after her practice round Monday. "The first dual stage ups our stage a little bit. It’s pretty cool, I think fans will enjoy it. It’s definitely a very unique experience for all of us."

The USGA claims the only difference in setup this week is green firmness, with water applied to soften greens for the women, who don’t hit the ball as high or with as much spin. Pin placements are expected to be similar to the men’s.

Wie, No. 2 on the LPGA money list, is playing her 12th U.S. Open, at age 24. She walked with Kaymer’s group Sunday and "borrowed" yardage books from Rickie Fowler and Keegan Bradley as part of her preparation. She tees off at 7:36 Hawaii time on Thursday morning, with Catriona Mathew and Amy Yang.

University of Hawaii graduate Xyra Suyetsugu tees off first, at 2:45 a.m. Hawaii time. Former Rainbow Wahine teammate Corie Hou is carrying her bag, as she did when Suyetsugu won the 2008 Jennie K. Invitational.

Suyetsugu won the Hawaii Sectional a month ago at Waialae Country Club to claim a tee time at the most prestigious championship in women’s golf.

That includes ‘Iolani graduate Marissa Chow, who won the Beaumont, Calif., qualifier by three shots last month. It was enough to convince her to cancel a semester abroad in Switzerland this summer.

"Summer school will always be there, but how many times can you say you played in the U.S. Open?" Chow said by phone from North Carolina. "It’s a little higher status."

Chow, who starts her junior year at Pepperdine in the fall, will have former LPGA player Lenore Muraoka Rittenhouse — her aunt — on her bag. They go out at 8:42 a.m. today.

Rittenhouse, a member of the Hawaii Golf Hall of Fame, lives less than 10 miles from Pinehurst. She carried her niece’s bag Monday for the first time.

"My feet hurt a little and we didn’t even go 18," said Rittenhouse, who now works as a nurse. "But Marissa was hitting the ball so well. I’m so proud of her.

"She’s a very mature player. She thinks well, keeps her emotions in check, has a good head on her shoulders for a golfer. She is light years ahead of me when I was her age."

Her advice to her niece and Suyetsugu, a fellow Roosevelt alum, is to "aim for the safest spot on the green–every day."

Chow and Suyetsugu, who turned pro in 2009, have both focused on their short games coming into the Open. This morning, both will be focused on trying, somehow, to keep calm.

"Controlling my emotions will not be easy, I know the nerves will be there," Suyetsugu said in an email. "I’ve been reading a book, ‘Every Shot Must Have A Purpose,’ by Pia Nilsson and Lynn Marriott. I feel it’s really helped me in identifying how my body responds to pressure. It is a lesson I will use for the upcoming week. Also, having a good friend on the bag is gonna be a big help in staying the course. We make a good team on the course."

She is headed to state Opens in Michigan and Texas next. Suyetsugu calls qualifying for the Open a "spirit lifter" that has convinced her to continue pursuing her golf career.

Her goal this week is to play for par, stay in the moment, have fun — and "breathe."

Chow is also trying to put this remarkable opportunity in perspective.

"I’ve never done anything on this scale," she says. "It’s important to remember it’s just a game. It’s not going to decide the rest of your life. At the end of the day, it will be a great experience and I want to try to enjoy every moment, not take it too seriously.

Notes

» Chow was named to GolfWeek’s All-American third team Tuesday. She ended the school year ranked 29th nationally. Former Maui resident Kyung Kim, a USC sophomore, is on the first team. ‘Iolani graduate Lorens Chan (UCLA sophomore), Baldwin graduate Cassy Isagawa (Oregon junior) and former Hawaii resident Alexandra Kaui (Oklahoma freshman) earned honorable mention.

» Leilehua and Hawaii Hilo alum Nick Mason missed the cut at last week’s Open, shooting 78-75.

» Former Kona resident Susie Berning was one of 34 former champions who gathered in Pinehurst for a reunion this week. Berning won three Opens.