LIBERTY CORNER, N.J. (Feb. 7, 2018) - The USGA today announced its final exemption categories from sectional qualifying for the 2018 U.S. Senior Women’s Open Championship, which will be inaugurated July 12-15 at Chicago Golf Club in Wheaton, Ill.  A full list of exempt players – which includes any age-eligible player who has won a U.S. Women’s Open Championship – is available on usga.org.

The U.S. Senior Women’s Open is open to professional females, and amateur females with a Handicap Index® not exceeding 7.4, who have reached their 50th birthday as of the first day of the championship. The field will include 120 players who will earn entry into the championship through an exemption category or via sectional qualifying at sites nationwide. A preliminary list of sectional qualifying sites can be viewed on usga.org.

“The U.S. Senior Women’s Open Championship represents an important and growing demographic of players, and we are eager to see who will rise to the top of this ultimate test of golf to claim the first spot on the new trophy this July,” said Stuart Francis, USGA Championship Committee chairman. “The list of exempt players is certainly impressive, and like all of our Open championships we are also excited to watch competitors earn their way to Chicago Golf Club through qualifying.”

Online entries for the 2018 Senior Women’s Open will be accepted from March 7-May 23. All who wish to compete, including exempt players, must file an entry.

The U.S. Senior Women’s Open format will mirror that of the U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open and U.S. Senior Open championships: a walking-only, 72-hole stroke-play competition over four consecutive days. There will be a 36-hole cut including the top 50 players and ties.

Chicago Golf Club, the oldest golf club in the U.S. in continuous use at the same location, will host its 12th USGA championship and the first since the 2005 Walker Cup Match. It is also one of the five founding clubs of the USGA. The 2019 U.S. Senior Women’s Open will be contested at Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club – a three-time U.S. Women’s Open host site – in Southern Pines, N.C., from May 16-19.

Provided they apply to play, the following golfers are fully exempt into the 2018 U.S. Senior Women’s Open:

Kristi Albers                                          6

Amy Alcott                                           1, 5, 6

Helen Alfredsson                                  5, 6, 10, 11, 12

Danielle Ammaccapane                         6

Janet Alex Anderson                            1

Donna Andrews                                     5, 6, 12

Judy (Rosenthal) Anschutz                     5

Tim Barrett                                            6

Jean Bartholomew                                 7, 11, 12

Laura Baugh                                         3

Susie Berning                                      1, 5

Nancy Bowen                                        5

Pat Bradley                                          1, 5, 6

Jerilyn Britz                                         1

a-Mary Budke                                       4

Betty Burfeindt                                      5

Donna Caponi                                      1, 5

JoAnne Gunderson Carner                  1, 3, 6

Kay Cockerill                                         3

Kathy Cornelius                                   1

Jane Crafter                                          12

Jean Ashley Crawford                            3

Beth Daniel                                           3, 5, 6

Laura Davies                                        1, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12

Alicia Dibos                                          12

Judy Dickinson                                     6

Mary Lou Dill                                         3

Dale Eggeling                                       6

a-Macarena Campomanes Eguiguren     17

Gloria Ehret                                           5

Shirley Englehorn                                  5

Cindy Figg-Currier                                 12

Jane Geddes                                        1, 5, 6

Tammie Green                                      5, 6

Lisa Grimes                                           7, 12

Kathy Baker Guadagnino                     1

Marlene Hagge                                     5

a-Patricia Lesser Harbottle                     4

Sandra Haynie                                     1, 5

Chako Higuchi                                       5

Carolyn Hill                                           3, 11

Cindy Hill                                              3

Juli Inkster                                           1, 3, 5, 6, 10, 12, 13

Becky Iverson                                       12

Christa Johnson                                    5, 6, 12

Trish Johnson                                       11, 12, 13

Cathy Johnston-Forbes                         5, 11

Rosie Jones                                          6, 12

Lorie Kane                                            6, 11, 12, 13

Betsy King                                           1, 5, 6, 12

a-Martha Kirouac                                   4

Hiromi Kobayashi                                  6

a-Judith Kyrinis                                     14

a-Catherine Lacoste                             1, 4

Jenny Lidback                                       5, 12

Murle Lindstrom                                  1

Sally Little                                             5

Nancy Lopez                                         5, 6

Marilyn Lovander                                   12

Pat O’Sullivan Lucey                              5

Meg Mallon                                          1, 5, 6

Carol Mann                                          1, 5

a-Barbara McIntire                                 4

Lauri Merten                                         1

Alice Miller                                            5

Mary Mills                                            1, 5

Barb Moxness                                       12

Barb Mucha                                          6, 11, 12

Martha Nause                                        5, 11, 12

Liselotte Neumann                               1, 6, 11, 12, 13

Alison Nicholas                                   1

Ayako Okamoto                                    6

Joanne Pacillo                                      3

Sandra Palmer                                     1, 5

Dottie Pepper                                        5, 6

a-Ellen Port                                           14

Sandra Post                                         5

Cindy Rarick                                         6

Betsy Rawls                                         1, 5

Michele Redman                                   6, 11, 12

Deb Richard                                          3, 6

Laurie Rinker                                         7, 12

Kelly Robbins                                       5

Kim Saiki-Maloney                                 6

a-Terrill Samuel                                     14

a-Anne Quast Sander                            4

Nancy Scranton                                     5, 6

Patty Sheehan                                      1, 5, 6

Cathy Sherk                                          3

Judy Kimball Simon                               5

Pearl Sinn                                             3

Val Skinner                                           6, 12

Marilynn Smith                                      5

Hollis Stacy                                          1, 5, 6, 12

Sherri Steinhauer                                   5, 6

Jan Stephenson                                   1, 5, 6

a-Marlene Stewart Streit                        4

a-Carol Semple Thompson                    4

Kris Tschetter                                        6

Sherri Turner                                         5, 6

Donna Horton White                              3

Kathy Whitworth                                    5

a-Sue Wooster                                      17

Mickey Wright                                      1, 5

Joyce Ziske                                          5

Bold – U.S. Women’s Open champion   a-amateur

Key to Player Exemptions:

1. Players eligible to play in 2018 who have won a U.S. Women’s Open Championship (10-year exemption).

2. From the most recent U.S. Women’s Open Championship, any player returning a 72-hole score.

3. Any professional or amateur for reinstatement who has won the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship (one-year exemption).

4. Any amateur who has won the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship (five-year exemption) and the 2017 runner-up.

5. Players who have won any of the following events when deemed a major* by the LPGA Tour: ANA Inspiration (1983-present), Evian Championship (2013-present), Ricoh Women’s British Open (2001-present), du Maurier Classic (1979-2000), KPMG Women’s PGA Championship (1955-present), Titleholders Championship (1946-1966 and 1972) or the Wester Open (1930-1967) (10-year exemption). *including former names of said events, such as the LPGA Championship Kraft Nabisco/Dinah Shore.

6. From the final 2017 LPGA Tour all-time money list, the top 150 money leaders and ties.

7. Winners of the LPGA Teaching & Club Professional Championship (Championship Division) the last five years and the five lowest scorers and ties from the most recent championship.

8. Winners of LPGA Tour co-sponsored events whose victories are considered official in the last five calendar years (2013-2017) and during the current calendar year to the initiation of the U.S. Senior Women’s Open Championship. (NOTE: The USGA will file blank entries for those players who become exempt after the close of entries).

9. From the 2017 official Ladies European Tour and Japan LPGA career money lists, the top five money leaders.

10. Playing members of the five most current United States and Europe Solheim Cup teams.

11. From the 2017 LPGA Senior Women’s Championship, the 10 lowest scorers and anyone tying for 10th place.

12. From the final 2016 and 2017 official Legends Tour Performance points list, the top 30 point leaders and ties.

13. Winners of Legends Tour co-sponsored events, excluding team events, whose victories are considered official in the last two calendar years (2016 and 2017) and during the current calendar year to the initiation of the current year’s U.S. Senior Women’s Open Championship. Events must be a minimum of 36 holes. (NOTE: The USGA will file blank entries for those players who become exempt after the close of entries).

14. Winners of the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship the last two years (2016 and 2017) and the 2017 runner-up; must be an amateur.

15. Winners of the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship the last two years (2016 and 2017); must be an amateur.

16. Playing members of the two most current United States and GB&I Curtis Cup Teams and the two most current United States Women’s World Amateur Teams; must be an amateur.

17. Winners of the 2017 Senior Ladies British Open Amateur and Canadian Women’s Senior Amateur Championships; must be an amateur.

18. Special exemptions as selected by the USGA. Must have filed an entry by the close of entries. Deadline for submission of request: May 23, 2018. Players must select a qualifying site at the time of entry.

About the USGA
The USGA celebrates, serves and advances the game of golf. Founded in 1894, we conduct many of golf’s premier professional and amateur championships, including the U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open. With The R&A, we govern the sport via a global set of playing, equipment and amateur status rules. Our operating jurisdiction for these governance functions is the United States, its territories and Mexico. The USGA Handicap System is utilized in more than 40 countries and our Course Rating System covers 95 percent of the world’s golf courses, enabling all golfers to play on an equitable basis. The USGA campus in Liberty Corner, New Jersey, is home to the Association’s Research and Test Center, where science and innovation are fueling a healthy and sustainable game for the future. The campus is also home to the USGA Golf Museum, where we honor the game by curating the world’s most comprehensive archive of golf artifacts. To learn more, visit usga.org