USGA Accepts Second Most U.S. Women's Open Entries - Nearly 1,800 players Will Attempt to Qualify for the 71st Championship at CordeValle

FAR HILLS, N.J. (May 5, 2016) – The United States Golf Association (USGA) has accepted 1,855 entries for the 71st U.S. Women’s Open Championship. The championship will be conducted July 7-10, 2016, at CordeValle in San Martin, Calif., the first time the championship will be played in the Bay Area.

This marks the second consecutive year the U.S. Women’s Open has received more than 1,800 entries. The 2015 championship at Lancaster (Pa.) Country Club holds the entry record with 1,873. Among this year’s total are 93 fully exempt players, including 10 Women’s Open champions.

“We are excited to see such a strong group of entrants from around the world for the 71st U.S. Women’s Open,” said Stuart Francis, chairman of the USGA Championship Committee. "As the final eligible event before the selection of the 2016 Olympic teams, the U.S. Women’s Open and CordeValle, our beautiful host site, stand ready to provide the stern challenge that is the hallmark of this championship.”   

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 3. Qualifying will be held at 21 sites in the United States, as well as four international sites – one each in the People’s Republic of China, England, the Republic of Korea and Japan.

In Gee Chun, who won the 2015 U.S. Women’s Open in her first championship appearance, is one of 10 fully exempt champions. Chun is joined by Na Yeon Choi (2012), Paula Creamer (2010), Eun-Hee Ji (2009), Cristie Kerr (2007), Se Ri Pak (1998), Inbee Park (2008, 2013), So Yeon Ryu (2011), Karrie Webb (2000, 2001) and Michelle Wie (2014).

The USGA accepted entries for the 71st U.S. Women’s Open from golfers in 48 U.S. states (all except Alaska and Wyoming) and 52 countries in total. Of the U.S. entries, California had the most with 290, followed by Florida with 270 and Texas with 160. Of the other countries, Japan led the way with 184 entries, followed by Korea with 136 and Canada with 103.

The championship’s youngest and oldest entrants both hail from Minnesota. Nine-year-old Margaret Heggerston, of Crosslake, is the youngest player to file an entry, while 1979 U.S. Women’s Open champion Jerilyn Britz, of Luverne, is the oldest at age 73. Britz’s last championship appearance came in 1991, when she missed the cut at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas.

Johanna Gustavsson, a professional from Sweden, was the first applicant when entries opened on March 9. The final championship application came from Maude-Aimee LeBlanc, a professional from Canada who filed her entry 19 minutes before the 5 p.m. Eastern deadline on May 4.

Players still have several ways to gain a full exemption into the U.S. Women’s Open. The winner of the 2016 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and any other LPGA co-sponsored events prior to the start of the U.S. Women’s Open, as well as the winner of the 2016 Ladies British Open Amateur Championship, will earn exemptions into the championship field. Additionally, the top 50 point leaders and ties from the Rolex Rankings as of July 4 will be added to the exempt list, provided they were not previously exempt into the championship.

More information about the U.S. Women’s Open before, during and after the 2016 championship is available at usga.org/womensopen. A variety of ticket options are available for purchase at 2016uswomensopen.com.

The following 93 golfers are fully exempt into the 2016 U.S. Women’s Open (as of May 5):

* – U.S. Women’s Open champion            a – amateur