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U.S. Women's Open

Annual golf tournament


Annual golf tournament

FieldValue
nameU.S. Women's Open
image_size240
locationErin, Wisconsin
(in 2025)
establishment1946,
orgUSGA (since 1953)
courseErin Hills
(in 2025)
par72 (in 2025)
yardage6829 yd (in 2025)
tourLPGA Tour
formatStroke play
purse$12 million (in 2025)
month_playedMay/June
aggregate271 Minjee Lee (2022)
to-par−16 Juli Inkster (1999)
current_championSWE Maja Stark
current2025 U.S. Women's Open

(in 2025) (in 2025) | to-par = −16 Juli Inkster (1999) The U.S. Women's Open is one of 15 national golf championships conducted by the United States Golf Association (USGA), is the oldest of the LPGA Tour's five major championships, which includes the Chevron Championship, Women's PGA Championship, Women's Open Championship, and The Evian Championship.

Established 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. Since 2018, the tournament has normally been held the week after Memorial Day. The U.S. Women's Open is the second major of the LPGA season and has the highest purse in women's golf. The most recent increase, announced in January 2022, saw the purse nearly double from its previous $5.5 million (20192021) to $10 million starting in 2022. The 2022 purse increase came about when the nonprofit health care company ProMedica was announced as the tournament's presenting sponsor.

For 2020, it was the final major of the year and be held for the first time over two courses, as it was postponed to December, due to the COVID-19 pandemic that postponed golf tournaments from March through June.

In 2007, international players outnumbered Americans for the first time. The 2008 tournament was won by South Korean Inbee Park, who became the event's youngest winner ever at age 19 years, 11 months, 17 days. In 2021, Yuka Saso matched Park as the youngest winner ever.

Since 2018, the U.S. Women's Open has normally been held prior to its men's counterpart rather than following it and the U.S. Senior Open. In announcing this schedule change, the USGA stated that it would "provide optimum playing conditions for the world's best players across a broader variety of the country's finest golf courses."

The playoff format was modified in 2018, reduced from three to two aggregate holes, followed by sudden death. The last 18-hole playoff was in 2006; the three-hole playoff was introduced the following year and used in 2011 and 2016.

In 2024, the USGA announced a new presenting sponsor, Ally Financial, and an increase in prize money. There was also a change to the winner's share of the purse, with the men's and women's open winner earning 20% of the total; $2.4 million for that year's Women's Open winner.

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, lowered in 2014 from 4.4 in 2013. 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.

There is no upper or lower age limit. The youngest-ever qualifiers were 11-year-old Lucy Li in 2014, and 12-year-old Lexi Thompson in 2007.

Winners of major amateur tournaments are also exempt. Currently, winners of the U.S. Girls' Junior, and U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur and the finalist of the U.S. Women's Amateur (all USGA events) are exempt provided they did not turn professional beforehand. Winners of the Augusta National Women's Amateur Championship will qualify effective with the inaugural tournament in 2019. The U.S. Women's Amateur champion is exempt, regardless of turning professional between the Women's Amateur and the U.S. Women's Open as a result of an August 2019 rule change by the USGA.

Winners

The number following some winners' names indicates the cumulative number of U.S. Women's Open wins for that player.

(a) = Amateur

† = Won 5 and 4 over Betty Jameson in 36-hole match play final

Multiple champions

This table lists the golfers who have won more than one U.S. Women's Open.

Career Grand Slam winners ‡
GolferCountryTotalYears
Betsy Rawls41951, 1953, 1957, 1960
Mickey Wright ‡41958, 1959, 1961, 1964
Babe Zaharias31948, 1950, 1954
Susie Berning31968, 1972, 1973
Hollis Stacy31977, 1978, 1984
Annika Sörenstam ‡31995, 1996, 2006
Louise Suggs ‡21949, 1952
Donna Caponi21969, 1970
JoAnne Carner21971, 1976
Betsy King21989, 1990
Patty Sheehan21992, 1994
Karrie Webb ‡22000, 2001
Juli Inkster ‡21999, 2002
Meg Mallon21991, 2004
Inbee Park ‡22008, 2013
Yuka Saso22021, 2024

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

Future sites

YearEditionCourseLocationDatesPrevious championships hosted
202681stRiviera Country ClubPacific Palisades, CaliforniaJune 4–7
202782ndInverness ClubToledo, OhioJune 3–6
202883rdOakmont Country ClubPlum, PennsylvaniaJune 1–41992, 2010
202984thPinehurst No. 2Pinehurst, North CarolinaJune 7–102014
203085thInterlachen Country ClubEdina, MinnesotaMay 30 – June 22008
203186thOakland Hills Country Club (South Course)Bloomfield Township, MichiganTBD
203287thLos Angeles Country Club (North Course)Los Angeles, CaliforniaTBD
203388thChicago Golf ClubWheaton, IllinoisTBD
203489thMerion Golf ClubHaverford, PennsylvaniaTBD
203590thPebble Beach Golf LinksPebble Beach, CaliforniaTBD2023
203691stShinnecock Hills Golf ClubShinnecock Hills, New YorkTBD
203792ndOak Hill Country Club (East Course)Rochester, New YorkTBD
203893rdOakmont Country ClubPlum, PennsylvaniaTBD
203994thTBDTBDTBD
204095thPebble Beach Golf LinksPebble Beach, CaliforniaTBD
204196thTBDTBDTBD
204297thOakland Hills Country Club (South Course)Bloomfield Township, MichiganTBD
204398thTBDTBDTBD
204499thTBDTBDTBD
2045100thThe Country ClubBrookline, MassachusettsTBD
2046101stMerion Golf ClubHaverford, PennsylvaniaTBD
2047102ndTBDTBDTBD
2048103rdPebble Beach Golf LinksPebble Beach, CaliforniaTBD

Source:

References

References

  1. (2013). "U.S. Women's Open: History". USGA.
  2. Nichols, Beth Ann. (May 28, 2019). "U.S. Women's Open champion will earn $1 million for the first time". USA Today.
  3. Azzi, Alex. (January 7, 2022). "U.S. Women's Open doubles purse with new presenting sponsor". NBC Sports.
  4. (April 3, 2020). "U.S. Women's Open moved to December; LPGA shuffles schedule". ESPN.
  5. (June 26, 2007). "U.S. Women's Open Notebook". [[PGA Tour]].
  6. (6 June 2021). "Yuka Saso birdies third playoff hole, becomes second teen to win U.S. Women's Open". ESPN.
  7. (May 26, 2014). "Shoal Creek to Host 2018 U.S. Women's Open". USGA.
  8. (February 26, 2018). "U.S. Open abandons 18 holes for 2-hole playoff". ESPN.
  9. Herrington, Ryan. (May 29, 2024). "The USGA is making a quirky change to the prize money payouts for its winners in 2024".
  10. (June 4, 2014). "U.S. Women's Open sectional qualifying complete". USGA.
  11. (2013). "2013 Women's Open Fact Sheet". USGA.
  12. "2010 U.S. Open Qualifying".
  13. "Lucy Li, 11, qualifies for U.S. Open". ESPN.
  14. Dixon, Peter. (June 30, 2007). "Thompson proves that youngsters can have fun". [[The Times]].
  15. (August 5, 2019). "New Exemption Changes for U.S. Women's and U.S. Amateur". USGA.
  16. "1946-2010 - US Women's Open - history - purses & winners' shares". LPGA.
  17. "U.S. Women's Open: Future Sites".
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