United States Women's Amateur Golf Championship
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Location | University Place, Washington (2022) |
| Course(s) | Bel-Air Country Club (2023) |
| Par | 70 (2023) |
| Length | 6,187 yd (5,657 m) (2023) |
| Organized by | USGA |
| Format | Stroke play and match play |
| Month played | August |
| Current champion | |
 Megan Schofill | |
The U.S. Women's Amateur is the leading
Robert Cox Cup
Since 1896 the Robert Cox Cup has been awarded annually by the USGA to the winner. The trophy was donated by Robert Cox of
The first tournament attracted a field of 13 and was played over 18 holes. As in the case of the men's U.S. Amateur, entry was originally restricted to members of USGA-affiliated private clubs (and, presumably, international players who were members of clubs affiliated with their nations' golf governing bodies); this policy remained in place until the 1979 tournament.[1] Several thousand women now enter the event, and the USGA conducts sectional qualifying to reduce the number of contestants to a more manageable number. The main tournament opens with two rounds of stroke play. The leading 64 players then compete in a match play competition. The matches are played over 18 holes except for the final, which is played over 36 holes.
In 1956,
There are no age restrictions on entry. Players must have a
Because the tournament is dominated by teenagers and college-age players who are working toward careers as tournament professionals, the USGA introduced a separate tournament in 1987 for players age 25 and over, called the U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur. It gives older amateur players an opportunity to compete among themselves for a national title; entrants must have a handicap index of 9.4 or less.
The USGA rates
The two finalists win exemptions to the ensuing U.S. Women's Open, and the winner also wins exemptions to The Women's Open Championship and upon turning 50, the U.S. Senior Women's Open (one year exemption for players who eventually turned professional, and five years for players who did not turn professional).
Winners
Multiple winners
Nineteen players have won more than one U.S. Women's Amateur, through 2023:
- 6 wins: Glenna Collett-Vare
- 5 wins: JoAnne Gunderson Carner
- 3 wins: Beatrix Hoyt, Margaret Curtis, Dorothy Campbell, Alexa Stirling, Virginia Van Wie, Anne Quast, Juli Inkster
- 2 wins: Genevieve Hecker, Katherine Harley, Betty Jameson, Barbara McIntire, Beth Daniel, Kay Cockerill, Vicki Goetze, Kelli Kuehne, Danielle Kang, Kristen Gillman
Seven players have won both the U.S. Women's Amateur and Open Championships, through 2023:
- Patty Berg: 1938 Amateur; 1946 Open
- Betty Jameson: 1939, 1940 Amateurs; 1947 Open
- Babe Zaharias: 1946 Amateur; 1948, 1950, 1954 Opens
- Louise Suggs: 1947 Amateur; 1949, 1952 Opens
- Catherine Lacoste: 1969 Amateur; 1967 Open
- JoAnne Gunderson Carner: 1957, 1960, 1962, 1966, 1968 Amateurs; 1971, 1976 Opens
- Juli Inkster: 1980, 1981, 1982 Amateurs; 1999, 2002 Opens
Eleven players have won both the U.S. Women's and
- Dorothy Campbell:^ 1909, 1910, 1924 U.S.; 1909, 1911 British
- Gladys Ravenscroft: 1913 U.S.; 1912 British
- Pam Barton:^ 1936 U.S.; 1936, 1939 British
- Babe Zaharias: 1946 U.S.; 1947 British
- Louise Suggs: 1947 U.S.; 1948 British
- Marlene Stewart Streit: 1956 U.S.; 1953 British
- Barbara McIntire: 1959, 1964 U.S.; 1960 British
- Catherine Lacoste:^ 1969 U.S.; 1969 British
- Carol Semple Thompson: 1973 U.S.; 1974 British
- Anne Quast: 1958, 1961, 1963 U.S.; 1980 British
- Kelli Kuehne:^ 1996 U.S.; 1996 British
^ Won both in same year.
Future sites
| Year | Edition | Course | Location | Dates | Previous championships hosted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 124th | Southern Hills Country Club | Tulsa, Oklahoma | August 5–11 | 1946 |
| 2025 | 125th | Bandon Dunes Golf Resort | Bandon, Oregon | TBD | |
| 2026 | 126th | Honors Course | Ooltewah, Tennessee | August 3–9 | |
| 2027 | 127th | Pinehurst Resort | Pinehurst, North Carolina | TBD | 1989 |
| 2028 | 128th | Brae Burn Country Club | West Newton, Massachusetts | August 7–13 | 1906, 1975, 1997 |
| 2029 | 129th | Oakland Hills Country Club | Bloomfield Hills, Michigan | TBD | 1929 |
| 2030 | 130th | Olympic Club | San Francisco, California |
August 5–11 | |
| 2031 | 131st | Baltimore Country Club, East Course at Five Farms | Baltimore, Maryland |
August 4–10 | |
| 2032 | 132nd | Bandon Dunes Golf Resort | Bandon, Oregon | TBD | 2025 |
| 2034 | 134th | The Country Club | Salt Lake City, Utah |
TBD | |
| 2035 | 135th | Atlanta Athletic Club | Johns Creek, Georgia | August 6–12 | |
| 2037 | 137th | Country Club of North Carolina | Pinehurst, North Carolina | TBD |
Saucon Valley Country Club is slated to host in 2038.
Canterbury Golf Club is slated to host in 2039.
Bandon Dunes Golf Resort is also slated to host in 2041.
Pinehurst Resort is also slated to host in 2044.
Oakmont Country Club is slated to host in 2046.
Source[4]
Notes
- ^ "Changes Made to USGA Championship Roster" (Press release). United States Golf Association. February 11, 2013. Archived from the original on February 13, 2013. Retrieved February 19, 2013.
- ^ "Miss Bishop Wins Golf Championship. Defeats Mrs. Sanford in Final Match by 5 Up and 3 to Play. Played in Merion Links. Winner is from the Brooklawn Club of Bridgeport. Large Gallery Sees". The New York Times. October 16, 1904. Retrieved April 18, 2011.
Miss Georgianna Bishop, representing the Brooklawn Golf Club of Bridgeport, Conn., won the women's golf championship of the United States to-day by defeating Mrs. E.F. Sanford of the Essex County Country Club of Orange, N.J., by 5 up and 3 to play. ...
- ^ The 1895 tournament was an 18-hole stroke play event; match play did not begin until the following year.
- ^ "2023 U.S. Women's Amateur Fast Facts". United States Golf Association. Retrieved January 30, 2023.