U.S. Senior Women's Open

The U.S. Senior Women's Open is one of fourteen U.S. national golf championships organized by the United States Golf Association. This USGA championship is open to women whose 50th birthday falls on or before the first day of competition and hold a handicap index not exceeding 7.4. It is part of the Legends of the LPGA Tour. The inaugural championship was held in 2018 at the Chicago Golf Club in Wheaton, Illinois.

The U.S. Senior Women's Open and the Senior LPGA Championship are considered to constitute the senior women's major golf championships. The eligibility for the Senior LPGA Championship and the Legends of the LPGA Tour are for female golfers age 45 and older, why not all Senior LPGA Championship players are eligible for the U.S. Senior Women's Open.

The field for the tournament is 120 players and is filled with professionals and amateurs with exemptions and sectional qualifying status. The tournament is 72 holes of stroke play, with the top 50 and ties making the 36-hole cut. Winners gain an exemption into the following year's U.S. Women's Open.

Eligibility

The following players are exempt from qualifying for the U.S. Senior Women's Open, provided they are 50 years old. Senior amateur categories require players to still be amateurs. For the first three editions of the tournament, golfers eligible in categories with an upper age limit, were eligible regardless of that.

*Winners of the U.S. Senior Women's Open who have not yet reached their 66th birthdays on or before the final day of the championship or winners in the past ten years, regardless of age
*The top 20 (and ties) from the previous year's U.S. Senior Women's Open
*The low amateur from the previous year's U.S. Senior Women's Open
* Winners of the U.S. Women's Open who are 50 but have not reached their 60th birthday on or before the final day of the championship.
** The USGA reserves the right to add an extra year exemption for players who were between 50 and 59 in 2020 (cancellation of tournament) to keep the player's ten-year exemption.
* From the two most recent U.S. Women's Open, any player returning a 72-hole score
* Finalist in the U.S. Women's Amateur the previous year
* Winners of the U.S. Women's Amateur (if turned professional a three-year exemption and if remained amateur a five-year exemption)
* Winners of the women's major professional golf championships who are 50 but have not reached their 60th birthday on or before the final day of the tournament – Chevron Championship, KPMG Women's PGA Championship, editions of the Canadian Women's Open from 1979 to 2000, editions of The Women's Open Championship since 2001, and editions of the Evian Championship since 2013.
** The USGA reserves the right to add an extra year for players between 50 and 59 in 2020.
* Finalists of the previous U.S. Senior Women's Amateur
** Winner receives a two year exemption, loser receives one year exemption.
* Winner of the past two U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur
* Members of either two of the two more recent Curtis Cup teams
* Members of the two most recent U.S. Espirito Santo Trophy teams
* Playing members of the five most recent Solheim Cup teams
* Top 30 players from the previous year's final Legends Tour money list
** Players will not be moved up if one player is under 45.
* Top 10 money leaders of all-time Legends Tour earnings
* Top 15 money leaders on the current Legends Tour money list
* Winners of Legends Tour events, excluding team events, in the last two years and current year
* Top 75 LPGA Tour money leaders all-time
* Winners of The Womens Amateur Championship 50 to 52 years of age
* Winners of the LPGA Teaching and Club Professional Championship in the past five years and the second-place finisher in the most recent edition
* Winners of LPGA Tour events, in the current and last five years
* Top five money leaders from the previous year's final Ladies European Tour and LPGA of Japan Tour career money lists
* Winners of the most current Senior Ladies' British Open Amateur and Canadian Senior Women's Amateur championships
* Special exemptions

Winners

Sources:

Future sites

References

External links

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{{U.S. Senior Women's Open

United States Golf Association championships
Legends Tour
Women's golf tournaments in the United States
Senior women's major golf championships
Recurring sporting events established in 2018
2018 establishments in Illinois