U.S. Women's Open
The U.S. Women’s Open is an annual 72-hole stroke play competition for female golfers. The first three editions were organized by the Women’s Professional Golfers Association, with the inaugural contest in 1946 played as a match play contest for the one and only time. The LPGA then sanctioned the Open from 1949 to 1952 until the USGA took control and that governing body now runs the event.
The original trophy presented to Patty Berg, the winner of the first contest, was one donated by Spokane Athletic Round Table, the event sponsor at Spokane Country Club (now Kalispel Golf & Country Club) in Washington. The USGA introduced a new trophy when it assumed responsibility for the tournament in 1953 but this was retired to the USGA museum in 1992. Since then, the champion is presented with the Harton S. Semple Trophy, named after the USGA President in 1973-1974.
One of nine national competitions conducted by the USGA, the U.S. Women’s Open is considered as one of the five major championships in the LPGA Tour calendar. It’s open to any professional or amateur female golfer (with a specified handicap limit) and there’s no age limit – Lexi Thompson qualified to play when she was a 12-year-old girl in 2007 then Lucy Li gained entry as an 11-year-old in 2014. Winners of certain major amateur title are also exempt from qualifying.
In the first fifty years of operation, only six non-American women managed to win the Open. The first of these was Fay Crocker from Montevideo in Uruguay, who won by 4 shots in 1955 at Wichita Country Club in Kansa. Twelve years later, an even more remarkable winner appeared: 22-year-old Catherine Lacoste from France. Her 2-stroke win at Th...
The U.S. Women’s Open is an annual 72-hole stroke play competition for female golfers. The first three editions were organized by the Women’s Professional Golfers Association, with the inaugural contest in 1946 played as a match play contest for the one and only time. The LPGA then sanctioned the Open from 1949 to 1952 until the USGA took control and that governing body now runs the event.
The original trophy presented to Patty Berg, the winner of the first contest, was one donated by Spokane Athletic Round Table, the event sponsor at Spokane Country Club (now Kalispel Golf & Country Club) in Washington. The USGA introduced a new trophy when it assumed responsibility for the tournament in 1953 but this was retired to the USGA museum in 1992. Since then, the champion is presented with the Harton S. Semple Trophy, named after the USGA President in 1973-1974.
One of nine national competitions conducted by the USGA, the U.S. Women’s Open is considered as one of the five major championships in the LPGA Tour calendar. It’s open to any professional or amateur female golfer (with a specified handicap limit) and there’s no age limit – Lexi Thompson qualified to play when she was a 12-year-old girl in 2007 then Lucy Li gained entry as an 11-year-old in 2014. Winners of certain major amateur title are also exempt from qualifying.
In the first fifty years of operation, only six non-American women managed to win the Open. The first of these was Fay Crocker from Montevideo in Uruguay, who won by 4 shots in 1955 at Wichita Country Club in Kansa. Twelve years later, an even more remarkable winner appeared: 22-year-old Catherine Lacoste from France. Her 2-stroke win at The Homestead in Virginia remains to this day the only amateur victory in the event.
Since the start of the new millennium, most Opens have been won by international golfers, with eight South Korean women claiming nine titles. Betsy Rawls (1951-1960) and Micky Wright (1958-1964) have both won the tournament four times and four other golfers have each scored three victories: Babe Zaharias (1948-1954); Susie Berning (1968-1973); Hollis Stacy (1977-1984); and Annika Sorenstam (1995-2006).
Two courses have each hosted the U.S. Women’s Open three times. The first is Atlantic City Country Club in Northfield, New Jersey, which was the venue for Babe Zaharias winning the first of her three titles in 1948. The second is Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club in Southern Pines, North Carolina, where Annika Sorenstam won the second of her three U.S. Opens in 1996. Karrie Webb also retained the U.S. Open here in 2001, and Christie Kerr secured the first of her two majors on this layout in 2007.
Uniquely, the 75th U.S. Women’s Open was staged in December 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, and there was no qualifying process with the entire field exempt. Shortened day length called Champions Golf Club’s second course (the Jackrabbit) into action for the tournament’s first two days to ensure the 156-strong field competed on time before Cypress Creek concluded proceedings after the cut.
Two courses no longer exist, so you will not find Prince George's (1949) and Churchill Valley (1959) listed among the entries below. A further five other courses have staged the U.S. Women’s Open: Bala (1952), Muskogee (1970), Richland (1980), Rolling Hills (1950) and Scenic Hills (1969). We may list some of these clubs in the future.
U.S. Women's Open host courses
Atlanta Athletic Club (Riverside)
14th
Host to the 1990 US Women’s Open, the Riverside forms one of two great golf courses at the 36-hole Atlanta Athletic Club. Originally designed by Robert Trent Jones Snr, the layout was renovated by his son Rees in 2003.
Atlantic City
20th
This venerable course has hosted national championships on several occasions over the years and Atlantic City Country Club claim to have coined the golfing term “birdie”.
Baltimore (East)
1st


Although the club was inaugurated in 1898, the East course at Baltimore Country Club was designed by the great genius of golf course architecture, A.W. Tillinghast and it opened for play in 1926.
Baltusrol (Lower)
5th
Baltusrol Golf Club takes its name from Mr Baltus Roll who once farmed this land in the 19th century before his untimely murder.
Baltusrol (Upper)
6th
The Upper course at Baltusrol Golf Club was laid out by the "Creator of Golf Courses", the legendary A. W. Tillinghast.
Blackwolf Run (Meadow Valleys)
12th
The 2012 U.S. Women’s Open was held at Blackwolf Run; the Championship course comprised the back nine of the Meadow Valleys layout (featuring water on the last three holes) plus holes 1-4 and 14-18 of the River course.
Blackwolf Run (River)
8th
The Blackwolf Run resort is named after Black Wolf, chief of the Winnebago Indians. A composite 18 holes from both the River and Meadow Valleys courses was used when the LPGA US Open was played here in 1998.
Broadmoor (East)
6th
Golf arrived at the Broadmoor Resort in 1918 when Donald Ross created an 18-holer which was split in two when Robert Trent Jones Snr added two 9-hole loops, forming the East course in 1952 and the West in 1964.
Cedar Ridge
10th
Joe Finger laid out the Cedar Ridge Country Club course in 1969 and it hosted the U.S. Women’s Open in 1983 when Jan Stephenson became the first Australian to win the title.
U.S. Women's Open Leaderboard
Rank | Name | Courses Played |
---|---|---|
1 | Paul Rudovsky |
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2 | Joseph Andriole |
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3 | James VanArsdall |
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4 | Bob McCoy |
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5 | Mark White |
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= | Fergal O'Leary |
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7 | David Harak |
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= | Andrew J. |
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9 | Joshua Asher |
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10 | James Gold |
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