FAR HILLS, N.J. (May 5, 2016) – The United States Golf Association (USGA) has accepted 1,855 entries for the 71st U.S. Women’s Open Championship. The championship will be conducted July 7-10, 2016, at CordeValle in San Martin, Calif., marking the first time the championship will be played in the Bay Area.

This marks the second consecutive year the U.S. Women’s Open has received more than 1,800 entries. The 2015 championship at Lancaster (Pa.) Country Club holds the entry record with 1,873. Among this year’s total are 93 fully exempt players, including 10 Women’s Open champions.

“We are excited to see such a strong group of entrants from around the world for the 71st U.S. Women’s Open,” said Stuart Francis, chairman of the USGA Championship Committee. "As the final event before the selection of the 2016 Olympic teams, the U.S. Women’s Open and CordeValle, our beautiful host site, stand ready to provide the stern challenge that is the hallmark of this championship.”   

To be eligible for the U.S. Women’s Open, a player must have a Handicap Index® not exceeding 2.4, or be a professional. Sectional qualifying will be conducted over 36 holes between May 9 and June 3. Qualifying will be held at 21 sites in the United States, as well as four international sites – one each in the People’s Republic of China, England, the Republic of Korea and Japan.

In Gee Chun, who won the 2015 U.S. Women’s Open in her first championship appearance, is one of 10 fully exempt champions. Chun is joined by Na Yeon Choi (2012), Paula Creamer (2010), Eun-Hee Ji (2009), Cristie Kerr (2007), Se Ri Pak (1998), Inbee Park (2008, 2013), So Yeon Ryu (2011), Karrie Webb (2000, 2001) and Michelle Wie (2014).

The USGA accepted entries for the 71st U.S. Women’s Open from golfers in 48 U.S. states (all except Alaska and Wyoming) and 52 countries in total. Of the U.S. entries, California had the most with 290, followed by Florida with 270 and Texas with 160. Of the other countries, Japan led the way with 184 entries, followed by Korea with 136 and Canada with 103.

Xiaowen Ying, 11, of the People's Republic of China is the championship's youngest entrant. Ying, who turns 12 on Dec. 8, will attempt to qualify at the sectional site in Shanghai, China, on May 26.

Jerilyn Britz, the 1979 U.S. Women's Open winner, is the championship's oldest entrant at 73. Britz’s last championship appearance came in 1991, when she missed the cut at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas.

Johanna Gustavsson, a professional from Sweden, was the first applicant when entries opened on March 9. The final championship application came from Maude-Aimee LeBlanc, a professional from Canada who filed her entry 19 minutes before the 5 p.m. Eastern deadline on May 4.

Players still have several ways to gain a full exemption into the U.S. Women’s Open. The winner of the 2016 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and any other LPGA co-sponsored events prior to the start of the U.S. Women’s Open, as well as the winner of the 2016 Ladies British Open Amateur Championship, will earn exemptions into the championship field. Additionally, the top 50 point leaders and ties from the Rolex Rankings as of July 4 will be added to the exempt list, provided they were not previously exempt into the championship.

More information about the U.S. Women’s Open before, during and after the 2016 championship is available at usga.org/womensopen. A variety of ticket options are available for purchase at 2016uswomensopen.com.

The following 93 golfers are fully exempt into the 2016 U.S. Women’s Open (as of May 5):

Bold – U.S. Women’s Open champion  

a – amateur

Sun Ju Ahn

Marina Alex

Beth Allen

Q Baek

a-Sierra Brooks

Ssu-Chia Cheng

Yoonji Cho

Chella Choi

Na Yeon Choi

In Gee Chun

Carlota Ciganda

Paula Creamer

Austin Ernst

Shanshan Feng

Sandra Gal

Julieta Granada

Jaye Marie Green

Brooke Henderson

Wei-Ling Hsu

Charley Hull

Mi Jung Hur

Karine Icher

Ha Na Jang

Eun-Hee Ji

Ariya Jutanugarn

Moriya Jutanugarn

Danielle Kang

Kim Kaufman

Cristie Kerr

Christina Kim

Hyo Joo Kim

I.K. Kim

Sei Young Kim

Lydia Ko

Jessica Korda

Candie Kung

Brittany Lang

Nicole Broch Larsen

Alison Lee

Bomee Lee

Ilhee Lee

Jung Min Lee

Mi Hyang Lee

Min Lee

Minjee Lee

Mirim Lee

Stacy Lewis

Xiyu Lin

Brittany Lincicome

Pernilla Lindberg

Teresa Lu

a-Leona Maguire

Mo Martin

Caroline Masson

Catriona Matthew

Maria McBride

Sydnee Michaels

Mika Miyazato

Azahara Munoz

Gwladys Nocera

Haru Nomura

Anna Nordqvist

a-Hannah O’Sullivan

Ryann O’Toole

Shiho Oyama

Lee-Anne Pace

Se Ri Pak

Hee Young Psark

Inbee Park

Jane Park

Sung Hyun Park

Suzann Pettersen

Pornanong Phatlum

Gerina Piller

Morgan Pressel

Beatriz Recari

Melissa Reid

So Yeon Ryu

Lizette Salas

Alena Sharp

Jenny Shin

Kelly Shon

Jennifer Song

Angela Stanford

Kris Tamulis

Lexi Thompson

Yani Tseng

Mariajo Uribe

Karrie Webb

Michelle Wie

Amy Yang

Sakura Yokomine

Sun Young Yoo