CALIFORNIA — There's something special about the US Women's Open.

As the longest running major championship in the women's game, it's often the US Women's Open — whose 78th staging starts Thursday (Friday in Manila) — that players have pointed to as the one they grew up watching, the one they've wanted to win most.

"This is the one I've always wanted to win since I was a little kid," Minjee Lee said after capturing the 2022 US Women's Open at Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club. "It just feels pretty amazing to be able to get it done today. I just can't believe it."

Players like Lee have seen their childhood dreams realized in winning the US Women's Open, which has been made even more special by being staged in recent years at some of the premier venues in the game. It's been a growing trend over the last decade to bring the women's majors to the same venues that have hosted men's majors.

Pinehurst Resort and Olympic Club are two of the more popular facilities that have welcomed the US Women's Open in recent years. And beginning Thursday, for the very first time in a major championship, Pebble Beach Golf Links will play host to the best female golfers in the world.

This year at Pebble Beach is just the latest in a long line of championships to be staged by the United States Golf Association at the famed layout, which as of Thursday will host its 14th championship.

The 78th US Women's Open marks the first of what will be four tournaments for the women at the iconic course over the next 25 years.

In an effort to further provide equity across the game, the USGA relied on the layout they used for the 2019 US Open at Pebble Beach to provide guidance in creating the layout for this year's US Women's Open.

The USGA hopes to provide the same test for the women as they presented for the men, a move the organization also made when they brought the event to Olympic Club in 2021.

'This is the one I've always wanted to win since I was a little kid.'

Defending champion Lee headlines the field of 156 players that features the top 20 in the Rolex Women's World Golf Rankings.

Qualifying for the US Women's Open was held at two dozen qualifying sites across the United States and around the world that included more than 2,000 entrants.

There isn't a fairway on the course which borders the Pacific Ocean that the USGA said it didn't touch in preparation for the championship. The major test, which will play as a par 72 at 6,505 yards, will put a premium on accuracy, particularly off the tee as nearly all the fairways have narrow landing areas.

Players who can think their way around the layout, strategizing their approach shots into the greens will have an advantage on the difficult putting surfaces which feature subtle breaks and undulations.

There are plenty of storylines to chase at the season's third major championship.

Just two weeks removed from the LPGA Tour's second major at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship at Baltusrol Golf Club, all eyes will no doubt be on Roze Zhang, the 2023 rookie who earned membership by winning in her first professional start in June at the Mizuho Americas Open.

She then picked up a top 10 at Baltusrol after mounting an impressive Sunday charge to threaten the lead.

Zhang, one of the most decorated amateurs in golf history, also owns the women's course record at Pebble Beach with a round of 63.

The season's third major also presents an opportunity for the top-ranked players to bounce back from Baltusrol where Nelly Korda, Lilia Vu and Atthaya Thitikul missed the cut and Rolex Rankings No. 1 Jin Young Ko finished tied for 20th.