With the US Women’s Open being played for the first time at Pebble Beach this July, there was an expectation that the USGA might receive an unprecedented number of entries for this year’s championship. Sure enough, it happened, as the USGA announced overnight it had accepted a record 2,107, breaking the previous mark of 1,874 set a year ago and eclipsing the 2,000 threshold for the first time.
“The record number of entries is truly exciting and represents the worldwide interest in competing in the US Women’s Open,” said John Bodenhamer, the USGA’s chief championships officer, in a press release. “Pebble Beach Golf Links is one of America’s iconic and treasured courses and will present a compelling championship venue that will bring out the best in the world’s greatest female players.”
Those entries don’t just include dreamers: past champions are also vying to get back into the fold. Cristie Kerr (2007) and Paula Creamer (2010) are no longer exempt into the championship from their previous wins. Instead, both will try to qualify at Echo Lake Country Club in Westfield, New Jersey, on May 15.
Dreams of playing at idyllic Pebble Beach span multiple generations. The oldest entrant is 60-year-old Kimberly Williams, while the youngest is 9-year-old Bella Simoes.
Eleven past champions are exempt into the event, including last year’s winner, Australia’s Minjee Lee, Michelle Wie West (2014), who has said this will be the last start of her professional career, and Annika Sorenstam, who received a special exemption into the tournament earlier this week.
All told, 87 players are currently fully exempt into the field, with Hannah Green and Grace Kim – both recent winners on the LPGA Tour – ensuring an Australian contingent of at least three. More likely to earn that distinction when additional qualifying categories are filled closer to the championship. The remaining spots in the field will be filled with players advancing through 36-hole Final Qualifying events in the US (23), Canada, Japan and Belgium from May 9 to June 7.
US Women’s Open exempt players (Australians in bold)
Marina Alex
Na Rin An
Aditi Ashok
a-Saki Baba
a-Jessica Baker
Celine Boutier
Ashleigh Buhai
a-Krissy Carman
Chella Choi
Hye-Jin Choi
In Gee Chun
a-Monet Chun
Carlota Ciganda
Allisen Corpuz
Gemma Dryburgh
Ally Ewing
Ayaka Furue
Linn Grant
Hannah Green
Georgia Hall
Mina Harigae
Nasa Hataoka
Brooke Henderson
Charley Hull
Mone Inami
Chisato Iwai
Eun-Hee Ji
Ariya Jutanugarn
Danielle Kang
Minami Katsu
Haruka Kawasaki
Megan Khang
A Lim Kim
Grace Kim
Hyo Joo Kim
Sei Young Kim
Cheyenne Knight
Jin Young Ko
Lydia Ko
Jessica Korda
Nelly Korda
Jennifer Kupcho
Brittany Lang
Bronte Law
Alison Lee
Andrea Lee
Da Yeon Lee
Minjee Lee
Mirim Lee
So Mi Lee
Jeongeun Lee6
Hee Joeng Lim
Xiyu Lin
Gaby Lopez
Nanna Koertz Madsen
Leona Maguire
Jill McGill
Yuna Nishimura
Anna Nordqvist
Ryann O’Toole
Min Ji Park
Sung Hyun Park
Paula Reto
Hae Ran Ryu
Madelene Sagstrom
Mao Saigo
Lizette Salas
Yuka Saso
Jodi Ewart Shadoff
Hinako Shibuno
Jiyai Shin
Annika Sorenstam
Angela Stanford
Maja Stark
Patty Tavatanakit
Atthaya Thitikul
Lexi Thompson
Momoko Ueda
Lilia Vu
Michelle Wie West
Miyu Yamashita
Amy Yang
Angel Yin
Ruoning Yin
Yuri Yoshida
a-Yana Wilson
a-Rose Zhang
