2004 US Women's Open Fact Sheet

BY iseekgolf.com | LPGA Tour | 2004 US Women's Open | General | 01 Jul 2004

Par And Yardage
The Orchards Golf Club, on the campus of Mount Holyoke College, is set up at 6,473 yards and par is 36-35—71.

Architect
The course at the Orchards was designed by Donald Ross and opened in 1922 as a nine-hole course. The other nine holes, also designed by Ross, were finished in 1927.

History
First played in 1946, this is the 59th U.S. Women’s Open Championship.

Format
The championship is conducted at stroke play over 72 holes. There are 156 players in the championship field. After 36 holes, the field is cut to the 60 lowest scorers and anyone tying for 60th place, and anyone within 10 strokes of the leader.

Championship Schedule
Practice rounds will be played Monday, June 28, through Wednesday, June 30. Championship play will be conducted Thursday, July 1, through Sunday, July 4, with 18 holes of stroke play each day. A tie after 72 holes will result in an 18-hole playoff on Monday, July 5. If the playoff results in a tie, play will immediately continue hole-by-hole until a champion is determined.

Who Can Enter
The Women’s Open is open to any professional or amateur golfers who were females at birth. Amateur golfers must maintain a USGA Handicap Index not exceeding 4.4.

Entries
A record 1,097 entries were accepted for the 2004 U.S. Women’s Open. The previous record of 980 entries was set in 2001. Entries closed May 5.

Entry forms were received from players representing 46 states (all except Alaska, Maine, Mississippi, and Wyoming) and 39 foreign countries: American Samoa, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Chinese Taipei, Colombia, Czech Republic,

England, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Scotland, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Venezuela, Wales and Zimbabwe.

Sectional Qualifying
Sectional qualifying was conducted over 36 holes at nine sites from June 14-22.

Local Qualifying
Local qualifying, which was conducted for the first time in 2002, was held at 16 sites from May 17-25.

The Champion Receives
In addition to prize money, the champion will receive a gold medal, custody of the Harton S. Semple Cup for the ensuing year, and an exemption from sectional qualifying for the next 10 U.S. Women’s Opens.

Purse
The total purse for the 2004 Championship is $3.1 million and the champion receives $560,000. It is the largest winner’s check and total purse in women’s golf.

Women’s Open Earnings
Two-time champion Juli Inkster is the all-time leader in U.S. Women’s Open earnings, $1,167,143.28. Karrie Webb is second with $1,159,282.

2003 Championship Recap
Hilary Lunke rolled in a 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole of a Monday playoff to win the 58th U.S. Women’s Open at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club’s Witch Hollow course in North Plains, Ore. Lunke shot a 1-under-par 70 in the playoff to outlast Angela Stanford and Kelly Robbins for her first professional victory. Lunke became the first player to go through local and sectional qualifying to win the Women’s Open. Prior to Lunke, no player had advanced through sectional qualifying to win the title.

Welcome Back
This is the second USGA championship to be conducted at the Orchards. Michelle McGann won the 1987 U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship in the only USGA championship previously held at The Orchards.

The Women’s Open has been held in Massachusetts three times previously – at Salem Country Club in 1954 and 1984 and at Worcester Country Club in 1960.

Tickets
A wide variety of tickets are available beginning at $30 for a one-day grounds pass for Thursday through Sunday. A Season Pass, which includes all practice rounds, is $100. To order tickets, call the Championship office at (800) 513-OPEN or order online at www.2004uswomensopen.com.

Junior Attractions
Boys and girls age 16 and under will receive complimentary admission when accompanied by a ticketed adult. A variety of activities will be held free of charge during the week.

Champions Of The Past Decade
2003 Hilary Lunke
2002 Juli Inkster
2001 Karrie Webb
2000 Karrie Webb
1999 Juli Inkster
1998 Se Ri Pak
1997 Alison Nicholas
1996 Annika Sorenstam
1995 Annika Sorenstam
1994 Patty Sheehan

Multiple Wins
Thirteen players have combined to win 32 of the previous 58 Women’s Opens. Two players have won four Women’s Opens: Betsy Rawls (1951, 1953, 1957, 1960) and Mickey Wright (1958, 1959, 1961, 1964). Three players have won three Women’s Opens: Babe Didrikson Zaharias (1948, 1950, 1954), Susie Maxwell Berning (1968, 1972, 1973), and Hollis Stacy (1977, 1978, 1984). Eight players have won two Women’s Opens each. They are Louise Suggs (1949, 1952), Donna Caponi (1969, 1970), JoAnne Carner (1971, 1976), Betsy King (1989, 1990), Patty Sheehan (1992, 1994), Annika Sorenstam (1995,1996), Juli Inkster (1999, 2002), and Karrie Webb (2000, 2001).

Women’s Open Playoffs
There have been nine 18-hole playoffs in the history of the Women’s Open. The 1998 playoff was the first to go extra holes. Only one player, JoAnne Carner, has been involved in more than one playoff – she won a playoff against Sandra Palmer in 1976 and lost to Laura Davies in 1987.

USGA Champions In The Field
Twenty-nine USGA champions are in the Women’s Open field. They are:

Annika Sorenstam – 1995, 1996 Women’s Opens
Aree Song – 1999 Girls’ Junior
Beth Bauer – 1998 Girls’ Junior
Beth Daniel – 1975, 1977 Women’s Amateur
Betsy King – 1989, 1990 Women’s Opens
Candie Kung – 2001 Women’s Amateur Public Links
Catherine Cartwright – 2000 Women’s Amateur Public Links
Deb Richard – 1984 Women’s Amateur
Dorothy Delasin – 1996 Girls’ Junior; 1999 Women’s Amateur
Emilee Klein – 1991 Girls’ Junior
Grace Park – 1998 Women’s Amateur
Hilary Lunke – 2003 Women’s Open
In-Bee Park – 2002 Girls’ Junior
Jill McGill – 1993 Women’s Amateur; 1993 Women’s Amateur Public Links
Juli Inkster – 1980-82 Women’s Amateur; 1999 and 2002 Women’s Opens
Karrie Webb – 2000, 2001 Women’s Opens
Kelli Kuehne – 1994 Girls’ Junior; 1995 and 1996 Women’s Amateurs
Laura Davies – 1987 Women’s Open
Laurie Rinker – 1980 Girls’ Junior
Liselotte Neumann – 1988 Women’s Open
Meg Mallon – 1991 Women’s Open
Michelle Saiki – 1993 Girls’ Junior
Nicole Perrot – 2001 Girls’ Junior
Pat Hurst – 1986 Girls’ Junior; 1990 Women’s Amateur
Se Ri Pak – 1998 Women’s Open
Silvia Cavalleri – 1997 Women’s Amatuer
Vicki Goetze-Ackerman – 1989, 1992 Women’s Amateurs
Virada Nirapathpongporn – 2003 Women’s Amateur
Wendy Ward – 1994 Women’s Amateur

Directions To The Orchards
From the Springfield Marriott to Media Parking: Take I-91 North to Exit 16 – this is Route 202 North. Stay on Route 202 through Holyoke, following signs to South Hadley. Go over a bridge and at the rotary take the second exit for 116 North to South Hadley. At the bottom of the exit ramp, make a right onto 116 North and go approximately three miles. Mount Holyoke College will be on your right. Follow signs to Media Parking Lot B.

Future Women’s Opens
The 2005 championship will be conducted from June 23-26 at Cherry Hills Country Club in Englewood, Colo. The 2006 will be played at Newport Country Club in Newport, R.I., from June 29 to July 2; the 2007 Women’s Open will be contested at Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club in Southern Pines, N.C., from June 28 to July 1, and Interlachen Golf Club in Edina, Minn., will host the 2008 Women’s Open, from July 26-29. The 2010 Women’s Open will be conducted at Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club from July 8-11.

Exempt Players
There are 56 players currently fully exempted into the Women’s Open. The remainder of the players in the field will earn their spots via qualifying. The total field is 156 players.

Source – USGA