Eight champions and all top 25 players in the world are among the 1,897 entries accepted by the USGA for the 79th U.S. Women’s Open Championship Presented by Ally. The U.S. Women’s Open will be held for the second time at Lancaster (Pa.) Country Club, from May 30-June 2.
The number of entries ranks second all-time to last year’s record total of 2,107 who entered to play at Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links. More than 1,800 players filed entries for the third consecutive year. The USGA accepted entries for the 2024 U.S. Women’s Open from golfers in 46 U.S. states and 39 foreign countries.
“Lancaster Country Club and the surrounding community is truly excited and very supportive of bringing the U.S. Women’s Open back to central Pennsylvania,” said USGA Chief Championships Officer John Bodenhamer. “The number of entries represents the worldwide interest in competing in this championship, the pinnacle of women’s golf. This classic course will test the game’s best players.”
Allisen Corpuz, of Kapolei, Hawaii, carded a final-round 69 to win last year’s U.S. Women’s Open with a 72-hole total of 9-under-par 279 at Pebble Beach Golf Links, and is one of eight champions exempt from qualifying. Joining Corpuz are In Gee Chun, who won the 2015 championship at Lancaster C.C., Brittany Lang (2016), Ariya Jutanugarn (2018), Jeongeun Lee6 (2019), A Lim Kim (2020), Yuka Saso (2021) and Minjee Lee (2022).
World No. 1 Nelly Korda, of Bradenton, Fla., already a three-time winner on the LPGA Tour this year, is among 85 exempt players currently in the field. Korda will compete in her 10th U.S. Women’s Open, with her best result a tie for eighth in 2022 at Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club.
To be eligible, a player must have a Handicap Index® not exceeding 2.4, or be a professional. Qualifying, which will be contested over 36 holes at 23 sites in the U.S. and one each in Canada, Japan and Germany, will take place between April 15-May 20.
Eun-Hee Ji, the 2009 champion, will attempt to qualify for the championship. She is scheduled to compete at Soule Park Golf Club, in Ojai, Calif., on April 29.
The championship’s youngest entrant is 10-year-old Bella Simoes, an amateur from Brazil who lives in Fort Worth, Fla. Patricia Beliard, a 60-year-old professional from France who resides in Katy, Texas, is the oldest.
Zoe Sprecher, a 17-year-old amateur from Sierra Madre, Calif., was the first entrant on Feb. 14. Samantha Chiou, a 13-year-old amateur from Orinda, Calif., submitted her entry seven seconds before the deadline of 5 p.m. EDT on April 3.
The number of fully exempt players is expected to increase with the inclusion of additional categories. The winner of any LPGA co-sponsored event prior to the start of the U.S. Women’s Open will earn an exemption. Additionally, any player who is among the top 75 points leaders and ties from the Rolex World Rankings as of May 27, who is not otherwise exempt, will be added to the championship field. The winners of the 2024 Chevron Championship, 2024 Augusta National Women’s Amateur Championship and 2024 NCAA Women’s Division I Championship will also earn exemptions.
Lancaster Country Club previously hosted the 2015 U.S. Women’s Open when Chun, then a 20-year-old from the Republic of Korea, fired a final-round 66 to overtake 54-hole leader Amy Yang by one stroke. Chun became the fourth player to claim the Harton S. Semple Trophy in their first attempt.
To view the of the 85 golfers who are fully exempt into the 2024 U.S. Women’s Open (as of April 4), click here.
