Three-time champion Annika Sorenstam named ambassador of milestone celebration
LIBERTY CORNER, N.J. (June 3, 2020) – The United States Golf Association (USGA) today announced a number of exciting initiatives connected to the milestone 75th anniversary U.S. Women’s Open Championship, which was originally slated for this week but will now be contested Dec. 10-13, 2020 at Champions Golf Club in Houston, Texas.
“The U.S. Women’s Open has played a significant role in the advancement of the women’s game for the last 75 years,” said Mike Davis, USGA CEO. “As we reach this monumental occasion, we want to thank and honor everyone who has been involved in the championship from the start – from the fans, volunteers and staff to the champions and players themselves, by reliving memorable moments and celebrating in Houston this December.”
In support of the historic milestone, the USGA has named three-time U.S. Women’s Open champion Annika Sorenstam ambassador of the championship. Her wins in 1995 and 1996 made her the first international player to win back-to-back titles, and she added a third victory with her playoff win in 2006. Sorenstam is one of six players to have won three or more Women’s Open titles, and the only one to achieve the feat in the last 35 years. In 2012, she received the USGA’s Bob Jones Award, the Association’s highest honor. Prior to the U.S. Women’s Open in December, Sorenstam will be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
“I am proud to represent the U.S. Women’s Open as their ambassador during this historic year,” said Sorenstam, a native of Sweden. “The championship means a lot to me and my career, and I look forward to celebrating and reliving moments that have meant so much not only to me, but the sport of golf as a whole. It’s truly a special occasion for so many of us.”
To further commemorate this landmark, the USGA, in association with Rolex, has launched the U.S. Women’s Open History Experience, a fully immersive timeline that brings the first 74 years of U.S. Women’s Open Championships to life on uswomensopen.com. Through original broadcast footage, archival photos and interviews with champions, fans will have the opportunity to relive moments that are not only significant to the game, but also hold personal and sentimental meaning. From Babe Didrikson Zaharias’ emotional comeback from cancer in 1954 to Se Ri Pak’s victory in 1998 that inspired a new generation of champions, the Women’s Open Timeline chronicles the championship’s history and impact since its founding in 1946.
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