Leona Maguire and Stephanie Meadow will take a walk among the Pine Needles this week as they both go in search of a first major victory in the US Women's Open in North Carolina.
The second women's major of the year tess off at Pine Needles Golf Club for the fourth time - boasting a record prize fund of $10million - and Cavan native Maguire will be looking to put an average performance at April's Chevron Championship behind her.
Maguire finished in a tie for 39th on two-under-par in California, some distance off the eventual winning score of -14 set by American Jennifer Cupcho.
Antrim star Meadow will have returned from the Chevron somewhat more content than her countrywoman, having finished a shot better off in a tie for 35th - although her final-round 73 may have left something of a bitter taste.
Maguire's LPGA Tour Rookie of the Year performance in 2020, bolstered by her stunning Solheim Cup debut last September have seen the 27-year-old creep into the serious conversations when the big trophies are being handed out.
She franked the form with her maiden LPGA Tour win in early February, taking the Drive One Championship by three strokes from America's darling of the galleries, Lexi Thompson.
That enthusiasm is tempered however, by the undeniable fact that Maguire's record in this most testing of championships is poor, to say the least - three attempts, three missed cuts.
If history has shown us anything, the exacting Pine Needles layout is sure to produce a most worthy winner.
The last time the US Open came to the venue, in 2007, American Cristie Kerr had two shots to spare over the field on a not-too-shabby five-under-par.
Before that, in 2001, Australia's Karrie Webb dominated the field - and the golf course - with an incredible final total of seven-under-par, a full eight shots clear of second place. The only golfer under par.
Greg Allen on Golf: Rory searches for Goldilocks zone at Golden Bear's course
The first time Pine Needles held the US Women's Open came back in 1996 when the great Annika Sorenstam - then at the peak of her powers - also won pulling up, by six strokes.
In the process, she set a tournament record of 272, a mark which still stands today. It was the Swede's second straight US Open.
Sorenstam, as it happens, also tees it up this week having qualified by winning last year's US Senior Women's Open.
Former Duke University star Maguire tees off for her first round alongside Joengeun Lee of Korea and American Lizette Salas - starting on the 10th hole - at 7.09pm, Irish time, on Thursday.
Meadow (University of Alabama, seeing as you asked) also gets her tournament underway on the 10th hole, just under an hour before Maguire, at 6.14pm. She will have two Englishwomen, Bronte Law and the amateur Annabell Fuller, for company.
Meanwhile, world number two Nelly Korda is simply grateful to be back competing after a blood clot in her arm and admits she has low expectations for this week's tournament.
Korda revealed in March that she had been diagnosed with the clot after her arm swelled up following what she said was a "typical morning workout".
The 23-year-old Olympic gold medallist subsequently underwent surgery and will compete for the first time since early February.
"I was just feeling funny," Korda answered when asked how the blood clot came to be diagnosed.
"My arm wasn't feeling too great. I listened to my body. I went to the ER, got some ultrasounds, found out that I had a blood clot, went back home and saw a specialist, Dr Michael Lepore; he was great. Can't think of a better doctor to do the procedure. I've been good ever since.
"Obviously I did a lot of rehab and went out to California for a month, did rehab there, worked with my coach Jamie Mulligan. Wanted him to be there for when I first started hitting balls.
"I started gradually, really slow. I probably went like 60%. I was hitting my 8-iron 100 yards to see how it was feeling, and then once I got the clearance from my doctor I was good to go."
On her expectations for the week, Korda said simply: "To tee up and to hit my first shot on Thursday."
