U.S. Women's Open


The U.S. Women's Open, one of nine national golf championships conducted by the United States Golf Association, 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 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 for its first three years and the LPGA for the next four, it became a USGA event in 1953. Now held in late May/early June. the U.S. Women's Open is the second major of the LPGA season and has the highest purse in women's golf, at $5.5 million in 2019. For 2020, it will be the final major of the year and be held for the first time over two courses, as it will be held in December, due to the COVID-19 pandemic that postponed golf tournaments from March through June.
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. 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. The Original Championship Course for 2012 played just under, over longer than in 1998.
Beginning in 2018, the U.S. Women's Open will be held prior to its men's counterpart, in order to "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.

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 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.
PO - Won in playoff
= 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.
Deceased golfer †
Career Grand Slam winners ‡

The defending champion has retained the title on seven occasions, most recently in 2001:
Through 2018, three consecutive championships has not been achieved.

Champions by nationality

This table lists the total number of titles won by golfers of each nationality.
NationalityWins
51
8
4
3
2
1
1
1

Future sites

Source: