Sectional Exemptions Announced for USSWO

February 8, 2018 | 5 min.

Online registration begins March 7, 2018

LIBERTY CORNER, N.J. -- Yesterday, the USGA announced its final exemption categories from sectional qualifying for the inaugural U.S. Senior Women’s Open Championship, July 12-15, 2018, at the Chicago Golf Club in Wheaton, Ill.  

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 a-Catherine Lacoste 1, 4
Amy Alcott 1, 5, 6 Jenny Lidback 5, 12
Helen Alfredsson 5, 6, 10, 11, 12 Murle Lindstrom 1
Danielle Ammaccapane 6 Sally Little 5
Janet Alex Anderson 1 Nancy Lopez 5, 6
Donna Andrews 5, 6, 12 Marilyn Lovander 12
Judy (Rosenthal) Anschutz 5 Pat O’Sullivan Lucey 5
Tina Barrett 6 Meg Mallon 1, 5, 6
Jean Bartholomew 7, 11, 12 Carol Mann 1, 5
Laura Baugh 3 a-Barbara McIntire 4
Susie Berning 1, 5 Lauri Merten 1
Nancy Bowen 5 Alice Miller 5
Pat Bradley 1, 5, 6 Mary Mills 1, 5
Jerilyn Britz 1 Barb Moxness 12
a-Mary Budke 4 Barb Mucha 6, 11, 12
Betty Burfeindt 5 Martha Nause 5, 11, 12
Donna Caponi 1, 5 Liselotte Neumann 1, 6, 11, 12, 13
JoAnne Gunderson Carner 1, 3, 6 Alison Nicholas 1
Kay Cockerill 3 Ayako Okamoto 6
Kathy Cornelius 1 Joanne Pacillo 3
Jane Crafter 12 Sandra Palmer 1, 5
Jean Ashley Crawford 3 Dottie Pepper 5, 6
Beth Daniel 3, 5, 6 a-Ellen Port 14
Laura Davies 1, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12 Sandra Post 5
Alicia Dibos 12 Cindy Rarick 6
Judy Dickinson 6 Betsy Rawls 1, 5
Mary Lou Dill 3 Michele Redman 6, 11, 12
Dale Eggeling 6 Deb Richard 3, 6
a-Macarena Campomanes Eguiguren 17 Laurie Rinker 7, 12
Gloria Ehret 5 Kelly Robbins 5
Shirley Englehorn 5 Kim Saiki-Maloney 6
Cindy Figg-Currier 12 a-Terrill Samuel 14
Jane Geddes 1, 5, 6 a-Anne Quast Sander 4
Tammie Green 5, 6 Nancy Scranton 5, 6
Lisa Grimes 7, 12 Patty Sheehan 1, 5, 6
Kathy Baker Guadagnino 1 Cathy Sherk 3
Marlene Hagge 5 Judy Kimball Simon 5
a-Patricia Lesser Harbottle 4 Pearl Sinn 3
Sandra Haynie 1, 5 Val Skinner 6, 12
Chako Higuchi 5 Marilynn Smith 5
Carolyn Hill 3, 11 Hollis Stacy 1, 5, 6, 12
Cindy Hill 3 Sherri Steinhauer 5, 6
Juli Inkster 1, 3, 5, 6, 10, 12, 13 Jan Stephenson 1, 5, 6
Becky Iverson 12 a-Marlene Stewart Streit 4
Christa Johnson 5, 6, 12 a-Carol Semple Thompson 4
Trish Johnson 11, 12, 13 Kris Tschetter 6
Cathy Johnston-Forbes 5, 11 Sherri Turner 5, 6
Rosie Jones 6, 12 Donna Horton White 3
Lorie Kane 6, 11, 12, 13 Kathy Whitworth 5
Betsy King 1, 5, 6, 12 a-Sue Wooster 17
a-Martha Kirouac 4 Mickey Wright 1, 5
Hiromi Kobayashi 6 Joyce Ziske 5
a-Judith Kyrinis 14    
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.
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.

 
 
     

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