Bel-Air Country Club hosts the 2023 U.S. Women's Amateur next week marking the third USGA championship in the clubs history.
The classic George C. Thomas design is one of the country's most prestigious courses steeped in golf history. Here's a deep dive look into the 123rd U.S. Women's Amateur Championship.
PAR AND YARDAGE
Bel-Air will be set up at 6,187 yards and will play to a par of 36-34–70.
BEL-AIR HOLE BY HOLE
Hole 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Total
Par 5 4 3 4 3 4 4 5 4 36
Yards 495 374 155 430 112 378 348 495 318 3,105
Hole 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Total
Par 3 4 4 3 5 4 3 4 4 34
Yards 205 385 345 172 547 426 150 453 386 3,069
Note: Yardages subject to change.
ABOUT BEL-AIR COUNTRY CLUB
Located in the heart of Los Angeles and in the shadows of the Hollywood Hills, Bel-Air is a private club with an 18-hole course originally designed by George Thomas and recently renovated by Tom Doak and Renaissance Golf Design. The project focused on updating the course while restoring its archetypal integrity. Bel-Air is known for its dramatic topography and one of golf’s most famous suspension bridges, which spans a canyon on the 205-yard par-3 10th and serves as a stunning backdrop for the 18th hole.
The course previously hosted the 1976 U.S. Amateur, which was won by Bill Sander, and the 2004 U.S. Senior Amateur, with Mark Bemowski taking home the trophy. It most recently served as the stroke-play co-host course for the 2018 U.S. Amateur at The Riviera Country Club.
ENTRIES
The championship is open to female amateur golfers who have a Handicap Index® not exceeding 5.4. This year’s championship accepted a record 1,679 applicants with entries closing on June 14. The previous record was set in 2021 with 1,560 entries.
QUALIFYING
Qualifying for the 2023 U.S. Women’s Amateur took place at 24 sites nationwide and one in Canada between June 19 and July 20.
To view a full list of qualifying results, visit usga.org/womensam.
CHAMPIONSHIP FIELD
A starting field of 156 players will compete in the U.S. Women’s Amateur. Following 18-hole rounds of stroke play on Aug. 7-8, the field will be cut to the top 64 players for match play. Five 18-hole rounds of match play will determine the finalists who will square off in a 36-hole championship match on Aug. 13.
SCHEDULE OF PLAY
Practice rounds will take place Aug. 5-6, and the championship schedule is as follows:
Aug. 7 (Monday): First round, stroke play
Aug. 8 (Tuesday): Second round, stroke play
Aug. 9 (Wednesday): Round of 64, match play
Aug. 10 (Thursday): Rounds of 32 and 16, match play
Aug. 11 (Friday): Quarterfinal round, match play
Aug. 12 (Saturday): Semifinal round, match play
Aug. 13 (Sunday): 36-hole championship final, match play
2022 CHAMPION
Saki Baba, 17, of Japan, rolled to an impressive 11-and-9 victory over 21-year-old Monet Chun of Canada in the 36-hole championship match at Chambers Bay in University Place, Wash. Baba became the second player from Japan to win a USGA title, joining Michiko Hattori, who also claimed the U.S. Women's Amateur in 1985. From the sixth hole in her quarterfinal match, Baba won 28 of the last 49 holes she played, losing only four in that span and her 11-and-9 margin of victory is the largest in a U.S. Women’s Amateur final since Anne Sander in 1961.
TELEVISION COVERAGE
Golf Channel will broadcast the 2023 U.S. Women's Amateur Championship. All times ET.
Wednesday, Aug. 9. Golf Channel, 6-9 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 10, Golf Channel, 6-9 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 11, Golf Channel, 6-9 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 12, Golf Channel, 3-6 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 13, Golf Channel, 7-10 p.m.
CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY
The U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship is one of the United States Golf Association’s original three championships. It was first conducted in 1895, shortly after the inaugural U.S. Amateur and U.S. Open. The Women’s Amateur has been conducted every year since, except 1917-18, when it was suspended due to World War I, and 1942-45, when it was suspended due to World War II.
The most decorated champion is Glenna Collett Vare, a lifelong amateur who won the Cox Trophy a record six times. Second to Vare is JoAnne Gunderson Carner, who won five U.S. Women’s Amateur Championships. Combined with her two wins in the U.S. Women’s Open and one victory in the U.S. Girls’ Junior, Carner’s eight USGA titles are tied with Jack Nicklaus and eclipsed only by Bob Jones and Tiger Woods, who have each won nine.
U.S. Women’s Amateur champions seem to possess a remarkable facility to repeat. Beatrix Hoyt, Alexa Stirling, Vare, Virginia Van Wie and Juli Inkster have all won the U.S. Women’s Amateur three consecutive times. Another seven champions – Genevieve Hecker, Dorothy Campbell, Margaret Curtis, Betty Jameson, Kay Cockerill, Kelli Kuehne and Danielle Kang – have won two in a row.
The U.S. Women’s Amateur has long identified some of golf’s greatest female players, many of whom have gone on to successful professional careers. Along with the champions listed above, Patty Berg, Babe Didrikson Zaharias, Louise Suggs, Marlene Stewart Streit, Anne Quast Sander, Barbara McIntire, Catherine Lacoste, Carol Semple Thompson, Beth Daniel, Morgan Pressel and Lydia Ko have secured a place in golf history.
WHAT THE WINNER RECEIVES:
A gold medal and custody of the Robert Cox Trophy for one year
Exemption from qualifying for the 2024 U.S. Women’s Open
Exemption from qualifying for the next 10 U.S. Women’s Amateurs, if eligible
Exemption from qualifying for the next 10 U.S. Girls’ Juniors, if eligible
Exemption from qualifying for the next 15 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateurs, or 15 years from the time the player becomes eligible
Exemption from qualifying for the next 15 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateurs, or 15 years from the time the player becomes eligible
Invitation to the 2024 Augusta National Women’s Amateur
Likely exemptions into the Chevron Championship, AIG Women’s British Open and Amundi Evian Championship
USGA AND BEL-AIR COUNTRY CLUB
This is the third USGA championship held at Bel-Air Country Club.
1976 U.S. Amateur (Bill Sander)
2004 U.S. Senior Amateur (Mark Bemowski)
USGA CHAMPIONSHIPS IN CALIFORNIA
The 2023 U.S. Women’s Amateur will be the 88th USGA championship conducted in California. Earlier this year, The Los Angeles Country Club hosted the 123rd U.S. Open and Pebble Beach Golf Links hosted the 78th U.S. Women’s Open.
The first USGA championship in the state of California was the 1929 U.S. Amateur played at Pebble Beach Golf Links and won by Harrison R. Johnston.
The last U.S. Women’s Amateur played in the Golden State was in 2017 when Sophia Schubert defeated Albane Valenzuela at San Diego Country Club in Chula Vista, Calif. This will be the 10th U.S. Women’s Amateur held in California.
Upcoming USGA championships in California include the 2023 U.S. Senior Amateur at Martis Camp Club in Truckee from Aug. 26-31 and the 2024 U.S. Girls’ Junior at El Caballero Country Club in Tarzana.
USGA CHAMPIONSHIPS IN CALIFORNIA (Since 2010)
2010 U.S. Open (Graeme McDowell)
2012 U.S. Open (Webb Simpson)
2012 U.S. Girls’ Junior (Minjee Lee)
2013 U.S. Junior (Scottie Scheffler)
2013 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur (Ellen Port)
2014 U.S. Senior Amateur (Patrick Tallent)
2015 U.S. Senior Open (Jeff Maggert)
2016 U.S. Women’s Open (Brittany Lang)
2017 U.S. Women’s Amateur (Sophia Schubert)
2017 U.S. Amateur (Doc Redman)
2017 Walker Cup (USA)
2018 U.S. Amateur (Viktor Hovland)
2018 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball (Katrina Prendergast and Ellen Secor)
2018 U.S. Girls’ Junior (Yealimi Noh)
2019 U.S. Open (Gary Woodland)
2021 U.S. Open (Jon Rahm)
2021 U.S. Women’s Open (Yuka Saso)
2023 U.S. Open (Wyndham Clark)
2023 U.S. Women’s Open (Allisen Corpuz)
U.S. WOMEN’S AMATEURS IN CALIFORNIA
1930: Los Angeles C.C. (North Course), Beverly Hills (Glenna Collett)
1940: Pebble Beach Golf Links (Betty Jameson)
1948: Pebble Beach Golf Links (Grace S. Lenczyk)
1957: Del Paso C.C., Sacramento (JoAnne Gunderson)
1967: Annandale G.C., Pasadena (Mary Lou Dill)
1976: Del Paso C.C., Sacramento (Donna Horton)
1986: Pasatiempo G.C., Santa Cruz (Kay Cockerill)
1993: San Diego C.C., Chula Vista (Jill McGill)
2017: San Diego C.C., Chula Vista (Sophia Schubert)
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 AMATEUR SITES
Southern Hills Country Club, Tulsa, Okla., Aug. 5-11, 2024
Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, Bandon, Ore., TBD, 2025
The Honors Course, Ooltewah, Tenn., Aug. 3-9, 2026
Brae Burn Country Club, West Newton, Mass., Aug. 7-13, 2028
Oakland Hills Country Club, Bloomfield Hills, Mich., TBD, 2029
The Olympic Club, San Francisco, Calif., Aug. 5-11, 2030
Baltimore Country Club (East Course), Baltimore, Md., Aug. 4-10, 2031
Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, Bandon, Ore., TBD, 2032
The Country Club, Salt Lake City, Utah, TBD, 2034
Atlanta Athletic Club, Johns Creek, Ga., Aug. 6-12, 2035
Canterbury Golf Club, Cleveland, Ohio, Aug. 8-14, 2039
Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, Bandon, Ore., TBD, 2041
Oakmont Country Club, Oakmont, Pa., TBD, 2046
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