Currently Exempt Players for 81st U.S. Women's Open

The list of exempt players for the 81st U.S. Women's Open Championship Presented by Ally, which will be conducted June 4-7 at The Riviera Country Club, in Pacific Palisades, Calif., is starting to take shape. Defending champion Maja Stark, of Sweden, will join 155 others in the field. Many will be exempt via a variety of categories, with the remaining field determined via 36-hole qualifying at various sites. 

BOLD denotes the first time a player is listed and (a) indicates an amateur.  

S-1. Winners of the U.S. Women’s Open Championship for the last 10 years (2016-2025)

Brittany Lang (2016)
Sung Hyun Park (2017)
Ariya Jutanugarn (2018)
Jeongeun Lee6 (2019)
A Lim Kim (2020)
Yuka Saso (2021)
Minjee Lee (2022)
Allisen Corpuz (2023)
Yuka Saso (2024)
Maja Stark (2025)

S-2. From the 2025 U.S. Women’s Open Championship, the 10 lowest scorers and anyone tying for 10th place

Maja Stark
Nelly Korda
Rio Takeda
Hye-Jin Choi
Ruoning Yin
Mao Saigo
Hailee Cooper
Hinako Shibuno
Ariya Jutanugarn
Angel Yin
Linn Grant

S-3. Winner of the 2025 U.S. Senior Women’s Open Championship

Becky Morgan

S-4. Winner of the 2025 U.S. Women's Amateur Championship

Megha Ganne (a)

S-5. Winners of the 2025 U.S. Girls’ Junior and U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championships and the 2025 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship runner-up (must be an amateur)

Aphrodite Deng (a) (2025 U.S. Girls' Junior)
Ina Kim-Schaad (a) (2025 U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur)
Brooke Biermann (a) (2025 U.S. Amateur runner-up)

S-6. Winners of the Chevron Championship (2022-2026)

Jennifer Kupcho (2022)
Lilia Vu (2023)
Nelly Korda (2024)
Mao Saigo (2025)
2026 champion crowned April 26

S-7. Winners of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship (2021-2025)

Nelly Korda (2021)
In Gee Chun (2022)
Ruoning Yin (2023)
Amy Yang (2024)
Minjee Lee (2025)

S-8. Winners of The Amundi Evian Championship (2021-2025)

Minjee Lee (2021)
Brooke M. Henderson (2022)
Celine Boutier (2023)
Ayaka Furue (2024)
Grace Kim (2025)

S-9. Winners of the AIG Women’s Open (2021-2025)

Anna Nordqvist (2021)
Ashleigh Buhai (2022)
Lilia Vu (2023)
Lydia Ko (2024)
Miyu Yamashita (2025)

S-10. The top 30 point leaders from the final 2025 LPGA Race to the CME Globe Season Standings

Jeeno Thitikul
Miyu Yamashita
Minjee Lee
Rio Takeda
Nelly Korda
Sei Young Kim
Hyo Joo Kim
Hye-Jin Choi
Nasa Hataoka
Somi Lee
A Lim Kim
Mao Saigo
Akie Iwai
Charley Hull
Chisato Iwai
Jin Hee Im
Angel Yin
Minami Katsu
Celine Boutier
Jennifer Kupcho
Haeran Ryu
Linn Grant
Andrea Lee
Ayaka Furue
Yealimi Noh
Lydia Ko
Brooke M. Henderson
Carlota Ciganda
Gaby Lopez
Lindy Duncan

S-11. Winners of individual LPGA co-sponsored events, whose victories are considered official, from the conclusion of the 2025 U.S. Women’s Open Championship to the initiation of the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open Championship. (Note: The USGA will file blank entries for players who become exempt after the close of entries on April 1, 2026)

Jennifer Kupcho (ShopRite LPGA Classic presented by Acer)
Carlota Ciganda (Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give)
Minjee Lee (KPMG Women's PGA Championship)
Grace Kim (The Amundi Evian Championship)
Lottie Woad (ISPS Handa Scottish Open)
Miyu Yamashita (AIG Women's Open)
Akie Iwai (The Standard Portland Classic)
Brooke M. Henderson (CPKC Women's Open)
Miranda Wang (FM Championship)
Charley Hull (Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G)
Youmin Hwang (Lotte Championship presented by Hoakalei)
Jeeno Thitikul (Buick LPGA Shanghai)
Sei Young Kim (BMW Ladies Championship)
Miyu Yamashita (Maybank Championship)
Nasa Hataoka (TOTO Japan Classic)
Linn Grant (The ANNIKA Driven by Gainbridge at Pelican)
Jeeno Thitikul (CME Group Tour Championship)
Nelly Korda (Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions)

S-12. Winner of the 2026 Augusta National Women’s Amateur Championship (must be an amateur)

Will be crowned in April 2026

S-13. Winner of the 2025 Women's Amateur Championship staged by The R&A (must be an amateur)

Paula Martin Sampedro (a)

S-14. Winner of the 2025 Mark H. McCormack Medal (must be an amateur)

Kiara Romero (a)

S-15. Winner of the 2026 NCAA Women's Division I Women's Golf Individual Championship (must be an amateur)

To be crowned in May

S-16. From the 2026 LPGA Race to CME Globe, the top 10 point leaders through the close of entries on April 1, 2026. Players must select a qualifying site at the time of entry. (Must have filed an entry by April 1, 2026)

Updated on April 1

S-17. From the Week No. 12 Finalized Rolex Rankings, the top 75 ranked players. (Released to be published March 23, 2026) Players must select a qualifying site at the time of entry. (Must have filed an entry by April 1, 2026)

Updated in late March

S-18. From the Week No. 21 Finalized Rolex Rankings, the top 75 ranked players, if not previously exempt. (Released to be published May 25, 2026). Note: The USGA will file blank entries for those players who become exempt after the close of entries.

(For Exemptions 17 & 18, the Finalized rankings are based on the published rankings for each respective date, including any subsequent revisions.)

Updated in late May

S-19. Deferred exemptions under USGA Championships Family Policy: 

Michelle Wie West
Ally Ewing
Xiyu (Janet) Lin
Alison Lee

S-20. Special exemptions selected by the USGA. Must have filed an entry by April 1, 2026. Deadline for submission of request: April 1, 2026. Players must select a qualifying site at the time of entry. (NOTE: The USGA will file blank entries for those players who become exempt after the close of entries on April 1, 2026)