July 9-12, 2015
Lancaster (Pa.) Country Club (lancastercc.com)
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PAR AND YARDAGE
Lancaster Country Club will be set up at 6,483 yards and will play to a par of 35-35—70. (NOTE: yardages subject to change).
HOLE BY HOLE
Hole 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Total
Par 4 4 4 4 4 3 5 3 4 35
Yards 407 374 399 346 392 172 482 198 421 3,191
Hole 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Total
Par 4 4 3 5 4 4 4 3 4 35
Yards 428 416 169 508 389 414 353 178 437 3,292
ARCHITECT
Designed by William Flynn, the Old Course at Lancaster Country Club opened in 1920. A course restoration was completed in 2007, under the guidance of Ron Forse.
TELEVISION COVERAGE
Date Show Broadcast Hours (Local/EDT) Network
July 7 (Tuesday) Preview Show 8:30-9 p.m. Fox Sports 1
July 8 (Wednesday) Preview Show 7-8 p.m. Fox Sports 1
July 9 (Thursday) First Round 2-7 p.m. Fox Sports 1
July 9 (Thursday) Wrap-Up Show 7-7:30 p.m. Fox Sports 1
July 10 (Friday) Second Round 2-7 p.m. Fox Sports 1
July 10 (Friday) Wrap-Up Show 7-7:30 p.m. Fox Sports 1
July 11 (Saturday) Third Round 2:30-6:30 p.m. Fox
July 11 (Saturday) Wrap-Up Show 6:30-7 p.m. Fox Sports 1
July 12 (Sunday) Fourth Round 2:30-6:30 p.m. Fox
July 12 (Sunday) Wrap-Up Show 6:30-7 p.m. Fox Sports 1
WHO CAN ENTER
The championship is open to any female professional and any female amateur golfer with a Handicap Index® not exceeding 2.4. The deadline for entries was May 6.
ENTRIES
The USGA accepted a record 1,873 entries for the 2015 championship, which surpasses the previous mark of 1,702 set in 2014 at Pinehurst Resort and Country Club’s Course No. 2 in the Village of Pinehurst, N.C. It also marks the ninth time since 2004 that the championship has accepted a record number of entries.
SECTIONAL QUALIFYING
Sectional qualifying, played over 36 holes, will be conducted at 25 sites between May 9 and June 15. For the second consecutive year, international qualifying will take place in the People’s Republic of China (May 13), England (May 25), Japan (June 15) and the Republic of Korea (May 18).
CHAMPIONSHIP FIELD
The starting field of 156 golfers will be cut after 36 holes to the low 60 scorers and ties.
SCHEDULE OF PLAY
Practice rounds will be played Monday, July 6, through Wednesday, July 8. Eighteen holes of stroke play are scheduled each day from Thursday, July 9, through Sunday, July 12.
If the championship is tied after four rounds, a three-hole aggregate playoff will take place immediately following the conclusion of the fourth round. If the playoff results in a tie, play will immediately continue hole by hole until a champion is determined.
2014 CHAMPION
Michelle Wie won the 69th U.S. Women’s Open at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club’s Course No. 2. It was her second career USGA championship victory, but first since she won the 2003 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links at age 13. The 24-year-old Wie played confidently throughout, including her 25-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole on Sunday after a double bogey on the previous hole narrowed her lead to one stroke. Wie finished with an even-par 70 and a 2-under-par 278 total, two strokes ahead of world No. 1 and fellow American Stacy Lewis, who matched the championship’s low round of 66 on Sunday and finished at even-par 280.
TITLE DEFENSE
Since 1991, two players have successfully defended their championship (Annika Sorenstam, 1996; Karrie Webb, 2001), and only three other players have finished in the top 10 in the championship following their victory (Juli Inkster, 2002; Patty Sheehan, 1992; Meg Mallon, 1991).
WHAT THE WINNER RECEIVES
The champion will receive a gold medal, custody of the Harton S. Semple Trophy for the ensuing year and an exemption from qualifying for the next 10 U.S. Women’s Open Championships.
PURSE
The 2014 purse was $4 million; the winner earned $720,000.
HISTORY
This is the 70th U.S. Women’s Open Championship. The first U.S. Women’s Open, played at Spokane (Wash.) Country Club in 1946, was the only one conducted at match play. The Women’s Professional Golfers Association (WPGA) conducted the inaugural championship, won by Patty Berg. The WPGA conducted the Women’s Open until 1949, when the newly formed Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) took over operation of the championship. The LPGA ran the Women’s Open for four years but in 1953 asked the United States Golf Association to conduct the championship, which it has done ever since.
The youngest winner of the U.S. Women’s Open is Inbee Park, who won the 2008 championship at the age of 19 years, 11 months, 18 days. Babe Didrikson Zaharias, who won the 1954 Women’s Open at age 43 years, 6 months, is the oldest winner.
In 1967, Catherine Lacoste, daughter of French tennis player Rene Lacoste and 1927 British Ladies Amateur champion Simone Thion de la Chaume, became the only amateur to win the U.S. Women’s Open. Six other
amateurs – most recently Brittany Lang and Morgan Pressel in 2005 – have finished as runner(s)-up.
ACTIVE PLAYERS WITH MOST WOMEN’S OPEN APPEARANCES (through 2014)
Laura Davies (26), Cristie Kerr (19), Karrie Webb (19), Catriona Matthew (18), Se Ri Pak (18), Angela Stanford (15), Laura Diaz (14)
ACTIVE CONSECUTIVE U.S. WOMEN’S OPEN APPEARANCES (through 2014)
Karrie Webb (19, 1996-2014), Se Ri Pak (18, 1997-2014), Cristie Kerr (17, 1998-2014), Angela Stanford (15, 2000-2014), Paula Creamer (12, 2003-2014), Candie Kung (12, 2003-2014), Suzann Pettersen (12, 2003-2014), Brittany Lincicome (11, 2004-2014)
THE LAST TIME IT HAPPENED AT THE U.S. WOMEN’S OPEN
Last foreign winner: Inbee Park, 2013
Last to defend title: Karrie Webb, 2001
Last to win three consecutive Women’s Opens: Never been done
Last champion to win Women’s Open on first attempt: Birdie Kim, 2005
Last winner to win Women’s Open on second attempt: So Yeon Ryu, 2011
Last amateur to win Women’s Open: Catherine Lacoste, 1967
Last start-to-finish winner (includes ties): Annika Sorenstam, 2006
Last winner to win money title in same year: Inbee Park, 2013
Last winner to birdie the 72nd hole: So Yeon Ryu, 2011
Last winner to birdie the 72nd hole to force playoff: So Yeon Ryu, 2011
Last winner to birdie the 72nd hole to win by one stroke: Eun-Hee Ji, 2009
Last to win with four sub-par rounds: Inbee Park, 2008
Last to win without a round in the 60s: Eun-Hee Ji, 2009
Last to win with all rounds in the 60s: Never been done
Last to win with a round of 74: Inbee Park, fourth round, 2013
Last to win with a round of 75: Hilary Lunke, fourth round, 2003
Last to win with a round of 76: Se Ri Pak, fourth round, 1998
Last to win with a round of 77: JoAnne Carner, third round, 1976
Last to win with a round of 78: Sandra Palmer, first round, 1975
Last to win with a round of 79: Susie Berning, first round, 1972
Last to win with a round in the 80s: Mickey Wright, 80, second round, 1961
Last player to win after being in local qualifying: Hilary Lunke, 2003
Last player to win after being in sectional qualifying: Birdie Kim, 2005
Last winner younger than 20: Inbee Park, 19, 2008
Last winner between ages 20-29: Michelle Wie, 24, 2014
Last winner between ages 30-39: Annika Sorenstam, 35, 2006
Last winner over age 40: Meg Mallon, 41, 2004
Last winner who received a special exemption: Never been done
Last defending champion to miss the cut: Birdie Kim, 2006
FUTURE U.S. WOMEN'S OPENS
July 7-10, 2016: CordeValle, San Martin, Calif.
July 13-16, 2017: Trump National G.C. (Old Course), Bedminster, N.J.
May 31-June 3, 2018: Shoal Creek (Ala.)
PHOTO MEDIA SERVICE
The USGA will offer daily complimentary high-resolution photographs during the U.S. Women’s Open (Monday-Sunday) for news use only. For more information and to register, send an email to photorequests@usga.org.
MEDIA OPERATIONS/SERVICE
Please contact Christina Lance of USGA Championship Communications at clance@usga.org.
Additional media information, including credential applications, can be found at usga.org/media