USGA Announces 2015 U.S. Women’s Open Sectional Qualifying Sites

25 Sectional Qualifiers to be Conducted Between May 9 and June 15

FAR HILLS, N.J. (March 5, 2015) – The United States Golf Association (USGA) has announced sectional qualifying sites for the 2015 U.S. Women’s Open Championship, to be contested July 9-12 at Lancaster (Pa.) Country Club.

Sectional qualifying, conducted over 36 holes, will be held at 21 sites across the United States and four international sites between May 9 and June 15. The championship is open to female professionals, and female amateur golfers with a Handicap Index® not exceeding 2.4.

“The U.S. Women’s Open represents the pinnacle of women’s golf, and sectional qualifying is the first step of that journey,” said Diana Murphy, USGA vice president and Championship Committee chairman. “Our partners at state and regional golf associations, as well as several international organizations, play a crucial role in helping us determine a worthy champion. We thank them for their tireless efforts, and we look forward to the 70th playing of the U.S. Women’s Open, at Lancaster Country Club.”

Player applications are now available at https://champs.usga.org/index.html. The entry deadline is 5 p.m. EDT on May 6.

In 2014, the USGA accepted a record 1,702 entries for the championship at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club’s Course No. 2, in the Village of Pinehurst, N.C. The previous record was 1,420 for the 2013 championship at Sebonack Golf Club, in Southampton, N.Y.

For the second consecutive year, U.S. Women’s Open sectional qualifying will be conducted in the People’s Republic of China, England, Japan and the Republic of Korea. Three courses – Buckinghamshire Golf Club (England), CGA Nanshan International Training Center (China) and Woo Jeong Hills Country Club (Korea) – will again serve as host sites, while Japan’s Arima Royal Golf Club will host qualifying for the first time.

Industry Hills Golf Club, near Los Angeles, will host U.S. Women’s Open sectional qualifying for the sixth consecutive year, on May 26. Its Eisenhower Course was a local qualifying site in 2009 (the final year of local qualifying, which was conducted from 2002-09), and it hosted sectional qualifying in 1980 and 1982.

Industry Hills is one of two courses that will host both Women’s Open sectional qualifying and U.S. Open local qualifying. The Eisenhower Course will serve as a U.S. Open local qualifying site on May 13. The Royal Course at Ka’anapali Golf Resort, in Lahaina, Hawaii, will host both qualifiers on May 9.

Five past USGA championship sites will host 2015 U.S. Women’s Open sectional qualifying, three of them for at least the third time.

Three-time sectional site Druid Hills Golf Club, in Atlanta, hosted the 1951 U.S. Women’s Open, won by Betsy Rawls. It also served as the companion course to East Lake Golf Club for the 2001 U.S. Amateur, won by Bubba Dickerson. Another three-time host, Westmoreland Country Club, in Wilmette, Ill., was the site of Patty Berg’s 1938 U.S. Women’s Amateur victory.

The Woodlands (Texas) Country Club, which is hosting for the fourth consecutive year on the Player Course, was the site of Anne Sander’s 1989 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur victory on its Tournament Course.

Additionally, Riverdale Golf Course, in Brighton, Colo., hosted the 1993 U.S. Amateur Public Links, won by David Berganio Jr. Galloway National Golf Club, in Galloway, N.J., was the site of the 2012 USGA Men’s State Team, won by the team from New York.

Two U.S. Women’s Open champions have reached the championship through the stroke-play qualifying process: Hilary Lunke (2003) and Birdie Kim (2005). Lunke won after advancing through local and sectional qualifying, while Kim competed in the sectional stage.

For ticket information, please visit www.2015uswomensopen.com.

Considered the world’s premier women’s golf championship, the U.S. Women’s Open is one of 13 national championships conducted annually by the USGA. The championship was first conducted in 1946 and its winners include notable players such as Rawls, Babe Didrikson Zaharias, Mickey Wright, Hollis Stacy, Amy Alcott, Meg Mallon, Annika Sorenstam, Se Ri Pak, Juli Inkster, Cristie Kerr, Paula Creamer, Inbee Park and reigning champion Michelle Wie.

2015 U.S. Women’s Open Sectional Qualifying Sites (25)

May 9

Ka’anapali Golf Resort (Royal Course), Lahaina, Hawaii

May 13

CGA Nanshan International Training Center (Garden Course), Shandong, China

May 18

Serrano Country Club, El Dorado Hills, Calif.

Bradenton (Fla.) Country Club

Druid Hills Golf Club, Atlanta, Ga.

Westmoreland Country Club, Wilmette, Ill.

Windsong Farm Golf Club, Independence, Minn.

Butler (Pa.) Country Club