The U.S. Women's Open is the oldest major championship and the third of the 2012 season. It has the largest purse in women's golf, at $3.25 million in 2012.[2] It is one of 13 national championships conducted by the United States Golf Association (USGA).[3]
Qualifying tournaments began on May 14, 2012, and concluded on June 3, 2012.[4] The tournament was televised by ESPN and NBC Sports.
Blackwolf Run previously hosted the U.S. Women's Open in 1998 with Se Ri Pak beating amateur Jenny Chuasiriporn in a Monday playoff that went to 20 holes. Their 72-hole score was 290 (+6), played on a par-71 course at 6,412 yards (5,863 m).[5][6] The course for 2012 was set as a par-72 with a maximum length of 6,954 yards (6,359 m), an increase of 542 yards (496 m).[1] The course was set at less than the maximum for all four rounds.
Qualifying and field
The championship was open to any female professional or amateur golfer with a USGA handicap index not exceeding 4.4. Players qualified by competing in one of nineteen 36-hole qualifying tournaments that tare taking place between May 14 and June 3 at sites across the United States. Additional players were exempt from qualifying because of past performances in professional or amateur tournaments around the world.[4]
The USGA reports that a record 1,364 entries were received for the Championship, surpassing the previous record of 1,296 entries for the 2010 U.S. Women's Open.[4]
Exempt from qualifying
Many players were exempt in multiple categories. Players are listed only once, in the first category in which they became exempt, with additional categories in parentheses ( ) next to their names. Golfers qualifying in Category 12 who qualify by more than one method are also denoted with the tour by which they qualified.[4][7]
2. Winner and runner-up from the 2011 U.S. Women's Amateur Championship (must be an amateur) Moriya Jutanugarn (runner-up) (The winner, Danielle Kang, turned professional in August 2011 and was no longer exempt. Kang entered the City of Industry qualifying tournament on May 29 where she earned the third of four available spots from that location.[8])
3. Winner of the 2012 Ladies British Open Amateur Championship (must be an amateur) Stephanie Meadow
4. Winner of the 2011 Mark H. McCormack Medal (Women's World Amateur Golf Ranking) (must be an amateur) Lydia Ko
10. Top 10 money leaders from the 2012 official LPGA money list, through the close of entries on May 2 (must have filed an entry by May 2) All players in this category already qualified in at least one other category
11. Winners of LPGA co-sponsored events, whose victories are considered official, from the conclusion of the 2011 U.S. Women's Open Championship to the initiation of the 2012 U.S. Women's Open Championship Jessica Korda, Lexi Thompson (13)
13. Top 25 point leaders from the current Rolex Rankings and anyone tying for 25th place as of May 2, 2012 All players in this category already qualified in at least one other category
14. Top 25 point leaders from the current Rolex Rankings and anyone tying for 25th place as of July 2, 2012 Jeon Mi-jeong (declined to participate in tournament)
15. Special exemptions selected by the USGA
None offered
Qualifiers
The following players qualified for the 2012 U.S. Women's Open through one of the sectional qualifying tournaments. At sites with multiple qualifiers, players are listed in order of qualifying scores, from lowest score to highest.[7]
May 14 at Bellingham Golf and Country Club, Bellingham, Washington Sue Kim, Emma Talley[12]
Kyung Kim, the first alternate from the Scottsdale, Arizona qualifier, was added to the field on June 12 when Jiyai Shin, who had qualified in multiple categories, withdrew because of injury.[9]
Alison Lee, the first alternate from the Half Moon Bay, California qualifier, was added to the field on June 29 when Sun Ju Ahn, who had qualified from the JLPGA money list, withdrew.[11]
Jisoo Keel, the first alternate from the Colorado Springs qualifier, was added to the field on July 2 when Jeon Mi-jeong who qualified by moving into the top 25 in the Rolex Rankings by that date (exemption category 14) declined to participate in the tournament.[26]
The following players were added to the field on July 2 when spots reserved for players qualifying in various categories, including 5, 10, 11, 12 and 14, after the conclusion of open qualifying tournaments, were not used.
Kylene Pulley, the first alternate from the Sanford, North Carolina qualifier
Reilley Rankin, the first alternate from the Dunwoody, Georgia qualifier[28]
Jenny Suh, the first alternate from the Fairfax, Virginia qualifier
Angel Yin, the first alternate from the City of Industry qualifier
Cathryn Bristow, the second alternate from the Frisco, Texas qualifier, was added to the field on July 5 when Song-Hee Kim who qualified in category 9, withdrew citing a sore back and neck.[10]
"Original Championship Course" uses the back nine from Meadow Valleys for its front nine, and the first four and final five holes from River for its back nine.[1]
Amateurs: Ko (+2), Talley (+4), Lee (+5), Kim (+6), Bernabe (+9), Chen (+9), Green (+9), Altomare (+10), Dominguez (+10), O'Sullivan (+10), J. Park (+10), Khang (+11), Perry (+11), Shon (+11), Jutanugarn (+13), Keel (+15), Lopez (+15), Weaver (+16), Aubert (+17), Meadow (+17), Armstrong (+18), Meier (+20), A. Park (+21), Yin (+21), Mao (+22), Marks (+22), Mitsunaga (+24), Stoll (+26).
