United States Women's Amateur Golf Championship

U.S. Women's Amateur

Tournament information
Location	Rye, New York (2021)
Course(s)	Westchester Country Club (2021)
Par	72 (2021)
Length	6,752 yd (6,174 m) (2021)
Organized by	USGA
Format	Stroke play and match play
Month played	August
Current champion

The U.S. Women's Amateur is the leading golf tournament in the United States for female amateur golfers. It is played annually and is one of the 13 United States national golf championships organized by the United States Golf Association (USGA). Female amateurs from all nations are eligible to compete and there are no age restrictions. It was established in 1895, one month after the men's U.S. Amateur and U.S. Open. It is the third oldest USGA championship, over a half century older than the U.S. Women's Open, which was first played in 1946. Along with the British Ladies Amateur, the U.S. Women's Amateur is considered the highest honor in women's amateur golf.

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 Edinburgh, Scotland, a member of the British Parliament and a golf course designer. It remains the oldest surviving trophy awarded for a USGA championship. Along with a gold medal, a replica of the 2-foot-high (0.61 m) silver case of Etruscan design is given to the tournament winner. The original trophy is on permanent display at the USGA Museum and Library. The Robert Cox Cup is the only USGA trophy donated by someone from another country.

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, Ann Gregory became the first African American to compete in the Championship, held that year at the Meridian Hills Country Club in Indianapolis.

There are no age restrictions on entry. Players must have a handicap index of 5.4 or less. Morgan Pressel qualified as a 13-year-old in 2001 and won in 2005 at the age of 17. The 2006 winner Kimberly Kim was only 14 years old, breaking the record previously held by Laura Baugh. In 2007, and Alexis Thompson became the first 12-year-olds to qualify and the first to advance to match play. Jin and Thompson faced one another in the third round match play. Thompson beat Jin, but then lost in the quarterfinals.

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 Glenna Collett Vare as the most noteworthy champion who won the Robert Cox Cup a record six times. Several U.S. Women's Amateur champions who have gone on to become leading professionals including Patty Berg, Babe Zaharias, Louise Suggs and Beth Daniel.

The two finalists win exemptions to the ensuing U.S. Women's Open, and the winner also wins exemptions to the Ricoh Women's British Open 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[]

Year	Venue	Winner	Score	Runner-up
2021	Westchester Country Club		2 & 1
2020		Rose Zhang	38 holes	Gabriela Ruffels
2019	Old Waverly Golf Club	Gabriela Ruffels	1 up	Albane Valenzuela
2018	Golf Club of Tennessee	Kristen Gillman (2)	7 & 6
2017	San Diego Country Club	Sophia Schubert	6 & 5	Albane Valenzuela
2016	Rolling Green Golf Club	Seong Eun-jeong	1 up	Virginia Elena Carta
2015	Portland Golf Club	Hannah O'Sullivan	3 & 2
2014		Kristen Gillman	2 up	Brooke Henderson
2013		Emma Talley	2 & 1
2012		Lydia Ko	3 & 1
2011	Rhode Island Country Club	Danielle Kang (2)	6 & 5	Moriya Jutanugarn
2010		Danielle Kang	2 & 1	Jessica Korda
2009	Old Warson Country Club	Jennifer Song	3 & 1	Jennifer Johnson
2008		Amanda Blumenherst	2 & 1	Azahara Muñoz
2007	Crooked Stick Golf Club	Maria José Uribe	1 up	Amanda Blumenherst
2006	Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club	Kimberly Kim	1 up
2005		Morgan Pressel	9 & 8
2004		Jane Park	2 up
2003	Philadelphia Country Club	Virada Nirapathpongporn	2 & 1	Jane Park
2002	Sleepy Hollow Country Club		3 & 2	Brandi Jackson
2001		Meredith Duncan	37 holes	Nicole Perrot
2000	Waverley Country Club		8 & 7
1999		Dorothy Delasin	4 & 3	Jimin Kang
1998		Grace Park	7 & 6	Jenny Chuasiriporn
1997	Brae Burn Country Club	Silvia Cavalleri	5 & 4
1996		Kelli Kuehne (2)	2 & 1	Marisa Baena
1995	The Country Club	Kelli Kuehne	4 & 3
1994	The Homestead	Wendy Ward	2 up	Jill McGill
1993	San Diego Country Club	Jill McGill	1 up	Sarah LeBrun Ingram
1992	Kemper Lakes Golf Club	Vicki Goetze (2)	1 up	Annika Sörenstam
1991	Prairie Dunes Country Club	Amy Fruhwirth	5 & 4
1990	Canoe Brook Country Club	Pat Hurst	37 holes
1989	Pinehurst Resort	Vicki Goetze	4 & 3	Brandie Burton
1988	Minikahda Club	Pearl Sinn	6 & 5
1987	Rhode Island Country Club	Kay Cockerill (2)	3 & 2	Tracy Kerdyk
1986	Pasatiempo Golf Club	Kay Cockerill	9 & 7
1985		Michiko Hattori	5 & 4
1984	Broadmoor Golf Club, Seattle	Deb Richard	37 holes
1983	Canoe Brook Country Club		2 & 1	Sally Quinlan
1982	Broadmoor Golf Club	Juli Inkster (3)	4 & 3
1981	Waverley Country Club	Juli Inkster (2)	1 up
1980	Prairie Dunes Country Club	Juli Inkster	2 up	Patti Rizzo
1979		Carolyn Hill	7 & 6	Patty Sheehan
1978		Cathy Sherk	4 & 3
1977		Beth Daniel (2)	3 & 1	Cathy Sherk
1976	Del Paso Country Club	Donna Horton	2 & 1
1975	Brae Burn Country Club	Beth Daniel	3 & 2	Donna Horton
1974	Broadmoor Golf Club, Seattle	Cynthia Hill	5 & 4	Carol Semple
1973		Carol Semple	1 up	Anne Quast Sander
1972	St. Louis Country Club		5 & 4	Cynthia Hill
1971	Atlanta Country Club	Laura Baugh	1 up
1970			3 & 2	Cynthia Hill
1969		Catherine Lacoste	3 & 2	Shelley Hamlin
1968	Birmingham Country Club	JoAnne Gunderson (5)	5 & 4	Anne Quast Welts
1967			5 & 4
1966		JoAnne Gunderson (4)	41 holes	Marlene Stewart Streit
1965	Lakewood Country Club		5 & 4	Anne Quast Welts
1964	Prairie Dunes Country Club	Barbara McIntire (2)	3 & 2	JoAnne Gunderson
1963	Taconic Golf Club	Anne Quast Welts (3)	2 & 1	Peggy Conley
1962	Country Club of Rochester	JoAnne Gunderson (3)	9 & 8	Ann Baker
1961	Tacoma Country and Golf Club	Anne Quast Decker (2)	14 & 13	Phyllis Preuss
1960		JoAnne Gunderson (2)	6 & 5
1959	Congressional Country Club	Barbara McIntire	4 & 3
1958		Anne Quast	3 & 2	Barbara Romack
1957	Del Paso Country Club	JoAnne Gunderson	8 & 6
1956		Marlene Stewart	2 & 1	JoAnne Gunderson
1955			7 & 6	Jane Nelson
1954		Barbara Romack	4 & 2	Mickey Wright
1953	Rhode Island Country Club	Mary Lena Faulk	3 & 2	Polly Riley
1952	Waverley Country Club	Jackie Pung	2 & 1
1951	Town & Country Club	Dorothy Kirby	2 & 1
1950	East Lake Golf Club	Beverly Hanson	6 & 4	Mae Murray
1949	Merion Golf Club	Dorothy Germain Porter	3 & 2
1948	Pebble Beach Golf Links	Grace Lenczyk	4 & 3
1947		Louise Suggs	2 up	Dorothy Kirby
1946	Southern Hills Country Club	Babe Zaharias	11 & 9
1942–45: No championships due to World War II
1941	The Country Club	Betty Hicks Newell	5 & 3
1940	Pebble Beach Golf Links	Betty Jameson (2)	6 & 5
1939		Betty Jameson	3 & 2	Dorothy Kirby
1938		Patty Berg	6 & 5	Estelle Lawson Page
1937		Estelle Lawson Page	7 & 6	Patty Berg
1936	Canoe Brook Country Club	Pam Barton	4 & 3	Maureen Orcutt
1935	Interlachen Country Club	Glenna Collett-Vare (6)	3 & 2	Patty Berg
1934		Virginia Van Wie (3)	2 & 1
1933		Virginia Van Wie (2)	4 & 3	Helen Hicks
1932		Virginia Van Wie	10 & 8	Glenna Collett Vare
1931	Country Club of Buffalo	Helen Hicks	2 & 1	Glenna Collett-Vare
1930	Los Angeles Country Club	Glenna Collett (5)	6 & 5	Virginia Van Wie
1929	Oakland Hills Country Club	Glenna Collett (4)	4 & 3
1928	The Homestead	Glenna Collett (3)	13 & 12	Virginia Van Wie
1927			5 & 4	Maureen Orcutt
1926	Merion Golf Club		3 & 1
1925	St. Louis Country Club	Glenna Collett (2)	9 & 8	Alexa Stirling
1924	Rhode Island Country Club	Dorothy Campbell (3)	7 & 6	Mary Browne
1923	Westchester Country Club	Edith Cummings	3 & 2	Alexa Stirling
1922	The Greenbrier	Glenna Collett	5 & 4
1921		Marion Hollins	5 & 4	Alexa Stirling
1920		Alexa Stirling (3)	5 & 4	Dorothy Campbell
1919	Shawnee Country Club	Alexa Stirling (2)	6 & 5
1917–18: No championships due to World War I
1916		Alexa Stirling	2 & 1
1915	Onwentsia Club		3 & 2
1914		Katherine Harley (2)	1 up	Elaine Rosenthal
1913	Wilmington Country Club	Gladys Ravenscroft	2 up	Marion Hollins
1912	Essex County Country Club	Margaret Curtis (3)	3 & 2
1911	Baltusrol Golf Club	Margaret Curtis (2)	5 & 3
1910	Homewood Country Club	Dorothy Campbell (2)	2 & 1
1909	Merion Golf Club	Dorothy Campbell	3 & 2
1908	Chevy Chase Club	Katherine Harley	6 & 5
1907	Midlothian Country Club	Margaret Curtis	7 & 6	Harriot Curtis
1906	Brae Burn Country Club	Harriot Curtis	2 & 1
1905	Morris County Golf Club	Pauline Mackay	1 up	Margaret Curtis
1904	Merion Golf Club	Georgianna Bishop[2]	5 & 3
1903	Chicago Golf Club	Bessie Anthony	7 & 6
1902	The Country Club	Genevieve Hecker (2)	4 & 3
1901	Baltusrol Golf Club	Genevieve Hecker	5 & 3	Lucy Herron
1900	Shinnecock Hills Golf Club	Frances C. Griscom	6 & 5	Margaret Curtis
1899	Philadelphia Country Club		2 & 1
1898	Ardsley Club	Beatrix Hoyt (3)	5 & 3	Maude Wetmore
1897	Essex County Country Club	Beatrix Hoyt (2)	5 & 4
1896	Morris County Golf Club	Beatrix Hoyt	2 & 1
1895	Meadow Brook Club	Lucy Barnes Brown	132[3]

Multiple winners[]

Nineteen players have won more than one U.S. Women's Amateur, through 2021:

• 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 2021:

• 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 British Ladies Amateur Championships, through 2021:

• 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[]

Bandon Dunes Golf Resort is also slated to host in 2032 and 2041.
Oakmont Country Club is slated to host in 2046.
Source^[4]

Notes[]

External links[]

• Official site
• Complete records at Sportsnetwork