USGA Announces 2014 U.S. Women's Open Sectional Qualifying Sites
Far Hills, NJ (PRWEB) March 17, 2014 -- The United States Golf Association (USGA) today announced sectional qualifying sites for the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open Championship, to be contested June 19-22 at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club’s Course No. 2 in the Village of Pinehurst, N.C.
Sectional qualifying, conducted over 36 holes, will be held at 20 sites across the United States and four international sites between May 5 and May 30. Player applications are now available at http://www.usga.org/champs/apply. The entry deadline is 5 p.m. EDT on April 30. The championship is open to female professionals, and female amateur golfers with a Handicap Index® not exceeding 2.4.
“Sectional qualifying is a crucial part of bringing this most democratic of championships to the world’s elite players,” said Daniel B. Burton, USGA vice president and chairman of the Championship Committee. “With the cooperation of our partners, both domestic and international, we look forward to welcoming the best players from across the globe to Pinehurst.”
Industry Hills Golf Club, near Los Angeles, has held U.S. Women’s Open sectional qualifying annually since 2010. Its Eisenhower Course was a local qualifying site in 2009 (the final year of local qualifying, which was conducted from 2002-09), and it hosted sectional qualifying in 1980 and 1982. The Eisenhower Course will also serve as a U.S. Open local qualifying site on May 6.
In addition to Industry Hills, The Heritage at Westmoor, in Westminster, Colo., and The Country Club at DC Ranch, in Scottsdale, Ariz., will host both U.S. Women’s Open sectional qualifying and U.S. Open local qualifying. The Heritage at Westmoor will hold U.S. Women’s Open sectional qualifying on May 14, two days after U.S. Open local qualifying. The Country Club at DC Ranch will hold U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open qualifying on May 12 and May 28, respectively.
Quail Valley Golf Club in Vero Beach, Fla., will host both U.S. Women’s Open and U.S. Open sectional qualifying, on May 30 and June 2, respectively. This will be the second time the club has hosted U.S. Open qualifying and the first time for the Women’s Open.
Carolina Trace Country Club in Sanford, N.C., will host U.S. Women’s Open qualifying on its Lake Course for the sixth consecutive year. Three courses will host sectional qualifying for the third time: Oak Valley Golf Club in Beaumont, Calif. (2011, 2013, 2014); Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, Hawaii (2012-14); and The Woodlands (Texas) Country Club’s Player Course (2012-14). Waialae C.C. was a local qualifying site in 2002, while The Woodlands C.C. hosted Anne Sander’s 1989 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur victory.
As previously announced, international U.S. Women’s Open sectional qualifying will be conducted for the first time. Qualifying will be conducted at four sites, in the People’s Republic of China, England, Japan and the Republic of Korea on May 19.
Two U.S. Women’s Open champions have reached the championship through the qualifying process: Hilary Lunke (2003) and Birdie Kim (2005). Lunke won after advancing through local and sectional qualifying, while Kim competed in the sectional stage.
Considered the world’s premier women’s golf championship, the U.S. Women’s Open is one of 13 national championships conducted annually by the USGA. The Handicap Index limit was lowered from 4.4 to 2.4 this year due to the rapid growth of women’s amateur golf. The championship was first conducted in 1946 and its winners include notable players such as Babe Didrikson Zaharias, Betsy Rawls, Mickey Wright, Hollis Stacy, Amy Alcott, Meg Mallon, Annika Sorenstam, Se Ri Pak, Juli Inkster, Cristie Kerr, Paula Creamer and Inbee Park.
2014 U.S. Women’s Open Sectional Qualifying Sites (24)
May 5
The Honors Golf Club Dallas, Carrollton, Texas
May 12
Butler (Pa.) Country Club
Waialae Country Club, Honolulu, Hawaii
May 14
The Heritage at Westmoor, Westminster, Colo.
Oak Valley Golf Club, Beaumont, Calif.
May 19
Buckinghamshire Golf Club, Buckinghamshire, England
CGA Nanshan International Training Centre (Garden Course), Shandong, China
Higashi Nagoya Country Club, Aichi Prefecture, Japan
Woo Jeong Hills Country Club, Chungnam, Korea
Dunwoody Country Club, Atlanta, Ga.
Half Moon Bay (Calif.) Golf Links (Old Course)
Hermitage Country Club, Manakin-Sabot, Va.
Indian Hill Club, Winnetka, Ill.
North Oaks (Minn.) Golf Club
May 20
Lake Forest Country Club, St. Louis, Mo.
Rainier Golf & Country Club, Seattle, Wash.
The Woodlands (Texas) Country Club (Player Course)
May 21
Rumson (N.J.) Country Club
May 27
Industry Hills Golf Club at Pacific Palms Resort (Eisenhower Course), City of Industry, Calif.
Thorny Lea Golf Club, Brockton, Mass.
May 28
The Country Club at DC Ranch, Scottsdale, Ariz.
The Ritz-Carlton Members Golf Club, Bradenton, Fla.
May 29
Carolina Trace Country Club (Lake Course), Sanford, N.C.
May 30
Quail Valley Golf Club, Vero Beach, Fla.
Sectional qualifying sites and dates are subject to change. For the most up-to-date list, visit http://www.usga.org/champs/apply.
About the USGA
The USGA conducts the U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open and U.S. Senior Open, as well as 10 national amateur championships, two state team championships and international matches, attracting players and fans from more than 160 countries. Together with The R&A, the USGA governs the game worldwide, jointly administering the Rules of Golf, Rules of Amateur Status, equipment standards and World Amateur Golf Rankings. The USGA’s reach is global with a working jurisdiction in the United States, its territories and Mexico, serving more than 25 million golfers and actively engaging 150 golf associations.
The USGA is one of the world’s foremost authorities on research, development and support of sustainable golf course management practices. It serves as a primary steward for the game’s history and invests in the development of the game through the delivery of its services and its ongoing “For the Good of the Game” grants program. Additionally, the USGA’s Course Rating and Handicap systems are used on six continents in more than 50 countries.
For more information about the USGA, visit http://www.usga.org.
Christina Lance, United States Golf Association, http://www.usga.org, +1 908-326-1882, [email protected]
Share this article