United States Women's Open Championship (golf)
 | |
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Location |
San Martin, California in 2016 |
| Established | 1946, 70 years ago |
| Course(s) | CordeValle Golf Club in 2016 |
| Par | 72 in 2016 |
| Length | 6,783 yd (6,202 m) in 2016[1] |
| Organized by | USGA (since 1953) |
| Tour(s) | LPGA Tour |
| Format | Stroke play |
| Prize fund | $4.5 million in 2016 |
| Month played | July in 2016 |
| Tournament record score | |
| Aggregate |
272 Annika Sörenstam (1996) 272 Juli Inkster (1999) 272 Chun In-gee (2015) |
| To par | –16 Juli Inkster (1999) |
| Current champion | |
 Brittany Lang | |
 2016 U.S. Women's Open Golf Championship | |
The United States Women's Open Golf Championship, one of thirteen national championships conducted by the United States Golf Association (USGA), is the oldest of the LPGA Tour's five major championships, which includes the ANA Inspiration, Women's PGA Championship, Women's British Open, and The Evian Championship.
Established 70 years ago in 1946, the U.S. Women's Open is the only event to have been recognized as a major by the LPGA since the group's founding in 1950. Originally operated by the Women's Professional Golfers Association (WPGA) for its first three years and the LPGA for the next four, it became a USGA event in 1953.[2] Usually held in early July, the U.S. Women's Open is the third major of the LPGA season and has the highest purse in women's golf, at $4.5 million in 2015.
Unlike the U.S. Open, the U.S. Women's Open is not globally recognized as a major championship. The Ladies European Tour does not sanction any of the three majors held in the United States, and the LPGA of Japan Tour has its own set of majors. The significance of this is limited, as the LPGA Tour is the dominant tour in women's golf.
In 2007, international players outnumbered Americans for the first time.[3] The 2008 tournament was won by 19-year-old South Korean Inbee Park, who became the event's youngest winner ever.
The 2012 championship, won by Choi Na-yeon, was played July 5–8 at Blackwolf Run in Kohler, Wisconsin, which previously hosted the event in 1998, won by Pak Se-ri in a Monday playoff that extended to 20 holes.[4] The Original Championship Course for 2012 played just under 7,000 yards (6,400 m), over 500 yards (460 m) longer than in 1998.[5]
Qualification
The U.S. Women's Open is open to any professional or amateur female golfer. Amateurs must have an up-to-date USGA Handicap Index not exceeding 2.4,[6] lowered in 2014 from 4.4 in 2013.[7] Players may obtain a place by being exempt or by competing successfully in qualifying.
In 2002, a two-stage method of qualification was introduced: 18 holes for local qualifying and 36 holes for sectional qualifying. In 2010, the qualification process reverted to a single sectional stage of 36 holes played on a single day.
The criteria for exemption from qualifying has changed through the years. In 2010, there were eleven exemption categories, including winners of the U.S. Women's Open for the last ten years, winners of the other three majors for the last five years, the top 50 from the previous year's LPGA Tour money list, the top five from the previous year's Japan LPGA Tour, Korea LPGA Tour, and Ladies European Tour money lists, and official winners of LPGA co-sponsored events for the 52-week period prior to the U.S. Women's Open.[8]
There is no upper or lower age limit. The youngest-ever qualifiers were 11-year-old Lucy Li in 2014,[9] and 12-year-old Lexi Thompson in 2007.[10]
Winners
The number following some winners' names indicates the cumulative number of U.S. Women's Open wins for that player.
PO - Won in playoff
(a) = Amateur
† = Won 5 and 4 over Betty Jameson in 36-hole match play final
- ↑ The club is located in a portion of the Duluth postal area that became part of the newly incorporated city of Johns Creek in 2006. Although the club is still served by the Duluth post office, it now lists its mailing address as Johns Creek.
Multiple champions
This table lists the golfers who have won more than one U.S. Women's Open.
| Deceased golfer † |
| Grand Slam winners ‡ |
| Golfer | Country | Total | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Betsy Rawls | United States |
4 | 1951, 1953, 1957, 1960 |
| Mickey Wright ‡ | United States |
4 | 1958, 1959, 1961, 1964 |
| Babe Zaharias † | United States |
3 | 1948, 1950, 1954 |
| Susie Berning | United States |
3 | 1968, 1972, 1973 |
| Hollis Stacy | United States |
3 | 1977, 1978, 1984 |
| Annika Sörenstam ‡ |  Sweden |
3 | 1995, 1996, 2006 |
| Louise Suggs ‡ | United States |
2 | 1949, 1952 |
| Donna Caponi | United States |
2 | 1969, 1970 |
| JoAnne Carner | United States |
2 | 1971, 1976 |
| Betsy King | United States |
2 | 1989, 1990 |
| Patty Sheehan | United States |
2 | 1992, 1994 |
| Karrie Webb ‡ |  Australia |
2 | 2000, 2001 |
| Juli Inkster ‡ | United States |
2 | 1999, 2002 |
| Meg Mallon | United States |
2 | 1991, 2004 |
| Inbee Park |  South Korea |
2 | 2008, 2013 |
The defending champion has retained the title on seven occasions, most recently in 2001:
- 2001 - Karrie Webb
- 1996 - Annika Sörenstam
- 1990 - Betsy King
- 1978 - Hollis Stacy
- 1973 - Susie Berning
- 1970 - Donna Caponi
- 1959 - Mickey Wright
Through 2015, three consecutive championships has not been achieved.
Champions by nationality
This table lists the total number of titles won by golfers of each nationality.
| Nationality | Wins |
|---|---|
| United States | 51 |
| South Korea | 8 |
| Sweden | 4 |
| Australia | 3 |
 England | 2 |
 France | 1 |
 Uruguay | 1 |
Future sites
| Year | Course | Location | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Trump National Golf Club | Bedminster, New Jersey | July 13–16 |
| 2018 | Shoal Creek Golf and Country Club | Shoal Creek, Alabama | May 31 – June 3 |
| 2019 | Country Club of Charleston | Charleston, South Carolina | May 30 – June 2 |
| 2020 | Champions Golf Club, Cypress Creek Course | Houston, Texas | June 4–7 |
| 2021 | The Olympic Club, Lake Course | San Francisco, California | June 3–6 |
See also
References
- ↑ "U.S. Women's Open: Course Statistics". USGA. 2016. Retrieved July 8, 2016.
- ↑ "U.S. Women's Open: History". USGA. 2013. Retrieved June 23, 2013.
- ↑ "U.S. Women's Open Notebook". PGA Tour. Associated Press. June 26, 2007. Retrieved March 6, 2013.
- ↑ Clarke, Liz (July 7, 1998). "Pak wins Open on 92nd hole". Spokesman-Review. p. C1. Retrieved March 6, 2013.
- 1 2 "2012 U.S. Women's Open: Fact Sheet". USGA. Retrieved March 6, 2013.
- ↑ "U.S. Women's Open sectional qualifying complete". USGA. June 4, 2014. Retrieved June 19, 2014.
- ↑ "2013 Women's Open Fact Sheet". USGA. 2013. Retrieved June 19, 2014.
- ↑ "2010 U.S. Open Qualifying". Archived from the original on June 12, 2009.
- ↑ "Lucy Li, 11, qualifies for U.S. Open". ESPN. Retrieved May 20, 2014.
- ↑ Dixon, Peter (June 30, 2007). "Thompson proves that youngsters can have fun". The Times. London. Retrieved April 24, 2008.
- ↑ "1946-2010 - US Women's Open - history - purses & winners' shares" (PDF). LPGA. Retrieved July 31, 2011.
- ↑ "U.S. Women's Open to be played at Shoal Creek in Alabama in 2018". PGA of America. Associated Press. Retrieved May 30, 2014.