Record Entries for 2015 U.S. Women's Open


The United States Golf Association (USGA) has accepted a record total of 1,873 entries for the 2015 U.S. Women's Open Championship at Lancaster (Pa.) Country Club.

The 1,873 entries for the 2015 championship 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. Among this year's total are 96 fully exempt players, including 11 Women's Open champions.

"The United States Golf Association is proud to again have accepted record entries for the U.S. Women's Open, which is an indicator of the growing strength of and interest in the women's game," said Diana Murphy, USGA vice president and chairman of the Championship Committee. "We have received tremendous support for this championship from Lancaster Country Club, as well as the residents and businesses in the greater Lancaster area. We look forward to bringing the championship, the pinnacle of women's golf, to this classic course."

To be eligible for the U.S. Women's Open, a player must have a Handicap Index® not exceeding 2.4, or be a professional. Sectional qualifying will be conducted over 36 holes between May 9 and June 15. Qualifying will be held at 21 sites in the United States, as well as four international sites, in the People's Republic of China, England, the Republic of Korea and Japan.

Michelle Wie, who captured the 2014 U.S. Women's Open, is one of 11 fully exempt champions. Wie is joined by Na Yeon Choi (2012), Paula Creamer (2010), Laura Davies (1987), Eun-Hee Ji (2009), Cristie Kerr (2007), Birdie Kim (2005), Se Ri Pak (1998), Inbee Park (2008, 2013), So Yeon Ryu (2011) and Karrie Webb (2000, 2001). Twenty-five of the exempt players have combined to win 31 USGA championships, including four of the last five U.S. Women's Amateurs - Kristen Gillman (2014), world No. 1 Lydia Ko (2012) and Danielle Kang (2010, 2011).

The USGA accepted entries for the 70th U.S. Women's Open from golfers in 49 states (all except Maine) and 54 foreign countries. Of the United States entries, California had the most with 294, followed by Florida with 275 and Texas with 143. Of the foreign entries, 191 were received from Japanese players, followed by Korea with 94 and Canada with 61. For the second consecutive year, 10-year-old Alexa Pano, of Lake Worth, Fla., was the championship's youngest entrant. The oldest entrant is Debby Pinnell, 64, of Leland, N.C.

Sally Watson, a professional from Scotland who played on the 2008 and 2010 Great Britain and Ireland Curtis Cup Teams, was the first applicant when entries opened on Wednesday, March 4. Amateur Lauren Atkinson, of Bow, Wash., submitted the championship's final entry approximately six minutes before entries closed on Wednesday, May 6.

There are still several ways for players to gain an exemption into the U.S. Women's Open. The winner of the 2015 KPMG Women's PGA Championship and any other LPGA co-sponsored events prior to the start of the U.S. Women's Open will earn exemptions. Additionally, the top 50 point leaders and ties from the Rolex Rankings as of July 5 will be added to the exempt list, provided they were not previously exempt into the championship.

The following 96 golfers are fully exempt into the 2015 U.S. Women's Open (as of May 6):

Sun Ju Ahn
Marina Alex
Q Baek
Dori Carter
Chella Choi
Na Yeon Choi
In Gee Chun
Carlota Ciganda
Paula Creamer
Laura Davies
Laura Diaz
Austin Ernst
Shanshan Feng
Sandra Gal
a-Kristen Gillman
Julieta Granada
Mina Harigae
Caroline Hedwall
Brooke Henderson
Yoon Kyung Heo
Charley Hull
Mi Jung Hur
Karine Icher
Ha Na Jang
Eun-Hee Ji
Tiffany Joh
Jennifer Johnson
Ariya Jutanugarn
Moriya Jutanugarn
Danielle Kang
Haeji Kang
Kim Kaufman
Cristie Kerr
Birdie Kim
Christina Kim
Hyo Joo Kim
I.K. Kim
Sei Young Kim
Katherine Kirk
Lydia Ko
Jessica Korda
Candie Kung
Brittany Lang
Ilhee Lee
Jung Min Lee
Meena Lee
Mi Hyang Lee
Mirim Lee
Amelia Lewis
Stacy Lewis
Xiju Lin
Brittany Lincicome
Pernilla Lindberg
Babe Liu
Teresa Lu
Mo Martin
Caroline Masson
Catriona Matthew
Stephanie Meadow
Sydnee Michaels
Belen Mozo
Azahara Munoz
Misuzu Narita
Gwladys Nocera
Haru Nomura
Anna Nordqvist
Ji-Young Oh
Lee-Anne Pace
Se Ri Pak
Yanhong Pan
Hee Young Park
Inbee Park
Suzann Pettersen
Pornanong Phatlum
Gerina Piller
Morgan Pressel
Beatriz Recari
So Yeon Ryu
Lizette Salas
Dewi Claire Schreefel
Jodi Ewart Shadoff
Jenny Shin
Sarah-Jane Smith
Angela Stanford
Thidapa Suwannapura
Kris Tamulis
Lexi Thompson
Yani Tseng
Ayako Uehara
Mariajo Uribe
Line Vedel
Karrie Webb
Michelle Wie
Amy Yang
Sakura Yokomine
Sun Young Yoo

The above report is courtesy of the USGA. For more information, visit www.usga.org. More information about the U.S. Women's Open before, during and after the 2015 championship is available at www.uswomensopen.com.