Friday, June 30, 2023

78th U.S. Women's Open Championship Fact Sheet

The 78th U.S. Women's Open kicks off next week from Pebble Beach Golf Links.

The course will be set up at 6,509 yards and will play to a par of 36-36–72. The yardage for each round of the championship will vary due to course setup and conditions.

PEBBLE BEACH HOLE BY HOLE

Hole 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Total

Par         4 5 4 4 3 5 3 4 4 36

Yardage 344 509 384 308 187 496 107 395 437 3,167 

Hole 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Total

Par         4 4 3 4 5 4 4 3 5 36

Yardage 429 367 173 391 542 376 374 175 515 3,342

PEBBLE BEACH HISTORY 

Pebble Beach Golf Links is part of the famous 17-Mile Drive, which was originally designed as a local excursion route for visitors to take in the historic sights of Monterey and Pacific Grove and the scenery of what would become Pebble Beach. The course was designed by Jack Neville and Douglas S. Grant and opened on Feb. 22, 1919. Neville’s objective was to place as many of the holes as possible along the Monterey coastline and he accomplished this by using a “figure 8” layout. The first professional tournament held at Pebble Beach was the 1926 Monterey Peninsula Open. In 1929, the course hosted the U.S. Amateur Championship for the first time. In 1947, Pebble Beach became one of the host courses for the Bing Crosby National Pro-Am, which is currently known as the PGA Tour’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Pebble Beach has hosted 13 USGA championships, including six U.S. Opens, five U.S. Amateurs and two U.S. Women’s Amateurs. The course was also the site of the 1977 PGA Championship and has hosted the PGA Tour Champions’ Pure Insurance Championship since 2004.

ARCHITECTS 

Jack Neville and Douglas S. Grant designed Pebble Beach Golf Links, which opened in 1919.

PEBBLE BEACH GOLF LINKS NOTES

The 78th U.S. Women’s Open is the 14th USGA championship to be conducted at the resort 

The 2023 U.S. Women’s Open will be the fifth played in California and first at Pebble Beach 

Pebble Beach Golf Links will also host the 2035, 2040 and 2048 U.S. Women’s Opens, as well as the 2027, 2032, 2037 and 2044 U.S. Opens.  

The AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, a PGA Tour event, has been held at the resort since 1947 

WHO CAN ENTER 

The championship is open to any female professional golfer and any female amateur golfer with a Handicap Index® not exceeding 2.4.

ENTRIES 

Since 2014, the USGA has annually surpassed the 1,500 mark in entries, with a record 2,107 entries accepted for the 2023 U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach.

QUALIFYING 

Qualifying, played over 36 holes, was conducted at 23 sites in the U.S. and three international sites.

CHAMPIONSHIP FIELD 

The starting field of 156 golfers will be cut after 36 holes to the low 60 scorers and ties.

SCHEDULE OF PLAY 

Eighteen holes of stroke play are scheduled each day from July 6 (Thursday) through July 9 (Sunday). In the event of a tie after 72 holes, a two-hole aggregate playoff will take place following the completion of Sunday’s final round.

TELEVISION COVERAGE 

NBCUniversal (NBC, USA Network, Peacock) will provide live television coverage of all four rounds of the 78th U.S. Women’s Open. This year will mark the first time NBC will air women’s major championship golf in primetime. The live broadcast will also be complemented by 26 hours of Golf Central’s “Live From the U.S. Women’s Open.” 

Thursday, July 6 

1-3 p.m. Peacock, 3-8 p.m. USA Network

Friday, July 7

1-3 p.m. Peacock

3-8 p.m. USA Network

Saturday, July 8

12-6 p.m. NBC

Sunday, July 9

12-6 p.m. NBC

2022 CHAMPION 

Minjee Lee, of Australia, eclipsed the 72-hole scoring record with a 13-under total of 271 to win the 77th U.S. Women's Open at Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club. Lee became the seventh player to win both the U.S. Women's Open and U.S. Girls’ Junior titles, joining a legendary list that includes four-time U.S. Women’s Open champion Mickey Wright and eight-time USGA champion JoAnne Carner. 

TITLE DEFENSE 

Since 1991, two players have successfully defended their championship (Annika Sorenstam, 1995-96; Karrie Webb, 2000-01), and only four other players have finished in the top 10 in the championship following their victory (2019 winner Jeongeun Lee6, 2002 winner Juli Inkster, 1992 winner Patty Sheehan, 1991 winner Meg Mallon). 

WHAT THE WINNER RECEIVES 

The champion will receive the Mickey Wright Medal, custody of the Harton S. Semple Trophy for the ensuing year and an exemption from qualifying for the next 10 U.S. Women’s Opens. They will also receive a replica trophy and an exemption from qualifying for the next five Chevron Championships, AIG Women’s Opens, KPMG Women’s PGA Championships and Evian Championships. 

PURSE 

The 2023 purse will be announced on July 5. In 2022, the purse was $10M. 

CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY 

The first U.S. Women’s Open, played at Spokane (Wash.) Country Club in 1946, was the only one conducted at match play. The Women’s Professional Golfers Association (WPGA) conducted the inaugural championship, won by Patty Berg. The WPGA conducted the Women’s Open until 1949, when the newly formed Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) took over operation of the championship. The LPGA ran the Women’s Open for four years but in 1953 asked the United States Golf Association to conduct the championship, which it has done ever since.  

The youngest winners of the U.S. Women’s Open are Inbee Park (2008) and Yuka Saso (2021). Each player captured the championship at the age of 19 years, 11 months, 17 days. Babe Didrikson Zaharias, who won the 1954 Women’s Open at age 43 years, 6 months, is the oldest winner.  

In 1967, Catherine Lacoste, daughter of French tennis player Rene Lacoste and 1927 British Ladies Amateur champion Simone Thion de la Chaume, became the only amateur to win the U.S. Women’s Open. Seven other amateurs – most recently Hye-Jin Choi in 2017 – have finished as runner(s)-up.  

USGA CHAMPIONSHIPS AT PEBBLE BEACH 

1929 U.S. Amateur: Harrison R. Johnston def. Dr. O.F. Willing, 4 and 3 

1940 U.S. Women’s Amateur: Betty Jameson def. Jane S. Cothran, 6 and 5 

1947 U.S. Amateur: Robert H. (Skee) Riegel def. John W. Dawson, 2 and 1 

1948 U.S. Women’s Amateur: Grace S. Lenczyk def. Helen Sigel, 4 and 3 

1961 U.S. Amateur: Jack Nicklaus def. H. Dudley Wysong Jr., 8 and 6 

1972 U.S. Open: Jack Nicklaus by three strokes over Bruce Crampton (290-293) 

1982 U.S. Open: Tom Watson by two strokes over Jack Nicklaus (282-284) 

1992 U.S. Open: Tom Kite by two strokes over Jeff Sluman (285-287) 

1999 U.S. Amateur: David Gossett def. Sung Yoon Kim, 9 and 8 

2000 U.S. Open: Tiger Woods by 15 strokes over Ernie Els, Miguel Angel Jimenez (272-287) 

2010 U.S. Open: Graeme McDowell by one stroke over Gregory Havret (284-285) 

2018 U.S. Amateur: Viktor Hovland def. Devon Bling, 6 and 5

2019 U.S. Open: Gary Woodland by three strokes over Brooks Koepka (271-274) 

MOST USGA CHAMPIONSHIPS HOSTED BY A CLUB (through 2023) 

19 Merion G.C., Ardmore, Pa. 

17 The Country Club, Brookline, Mass. 

17 Oakmont (Pa.) C.C. 

16 Baltusrol G.C., Springfield, N.J. 

14 Pebble Beach (Calif.) G.L. 

13 Winged Foot G.C., Mamaroneck, N.Y. 

12 Chicago G.C., Wheaton, Ill. 

12 Pinehurst Resort and Country Club, Village of Pinehurst, N.C. 

11 Oakland Hills C.C., Bloomfield Hills, Mich. 

11 The Olympic Club, San Francisco, Calif. 

USGA CHAMPIONSHIPS IN CALIFORNIA 

The 2023 U.S. Women’s Open will be the 87th USGA championship and fifth U.S. Women’s Open conducted in the state of California. The 2023 U.S. Open was the state’s 86th championship, taking place June 15-18 at The Los Angeles Country Club.  

This is the third time in an eight-year span that the U.S. Women’s Open will be played in Northern California. Yuka Saso captured the 2021 U.S. Women’s Open at The Olympic Club in San Francisco for her first major championship. Brittany Lang won the 2016 U.S. Women’s Open at CordeValle Golf Club in San Martin, also for her first major championship. Both earned their victories in playoffs. 

The U.S. Women’s Open will return to the Golden State in 2026 at The Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades. Other upcoming USGA championships in California include the 2023 U.S. Women’s Amateur and 2026 Curtis Cup Match at Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles, the 2023 U.S. Senior Amateur at Martis Camp Club in Truckee, the 2025 U.S. Amateur at The Olympic Club, the 2025 Walker Cup at Cypress Point Club and the 2027 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links.  

PAST U.S. WOMEN’S OPENS IN CALIFORNIA 

1964: San Diego Country Club, Chula Vista (Mickey Wright) 

1982: Del Paso Country Club, Sacramento (Janet Alex) 

2016: CordeValle, San Martin (Brittany Lang) 

2021: The Olympic Club, San Francisco (Yuka Saso) 

MOST USGA CHAMPIONSHIPS HOSTED BY VENUES IN CALIFORNIA (through 2023) 

14 – Pebble Beach Golf Links, Pebble Beach (includes 2023 U.S. Women’s Open) 

11 – The Olympic Club, San Francisco 

5 – Del Paso Country Club, Sacramento 

4 – The Los Angeles Country Club, Los Angeles (includes 2023 U.S. Open) 

4 – Monterey Peninsula Country Club, Pebble Beach 

3 – Bel-Air Country Club, Los Angeles (includes 2023 U.S. Women’s Amateur) 

3 – The Riviera Country Club, Pacific Palisades 

3 – San Diego Country Club, Chula Vista 

3 – Torrey Pines Golf Course, San Diego 

FUTURE U.S. WOMEN’S OPEN SITES 

May 30-June 2, 2024: Lancaster (Pa.) Country Club 

May 29-June 1, 2025: Erin Hills, Erin, Wis. 

2026: The Riviera Country Club, Pacific Palisades, Calif. 

2027: Inverness Club, Toledo, Ohio 

2028: Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club 

2029: Pinehurst Resort & Country Club, Village of Pinehurst, N.C. 

2030: Interlachen Country Club, Edina, Minn. 

2031: Oakland Hills Country Club, Bloomfield, Mich. 

2032: The Los Angeles (Calif.) Country Club 

2033: Chicago Golf Club, Wheaton, Ill. 

2034: Merion Golf Club, Ardmore, Pa. 

2035: Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links 

2038: Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club 

2040: Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links 

2042: Oakland Hills Country Club, Bloomfield, Mich. 

2046: Merion Golf Club, Ardmore, Pa. 

2048: Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links 

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