The U.S. Women's Open is an annual golf competition that was established in 1946. [1] Since 1953, the championship is sanctioned by the United States Golf Association (USGA), the governing body for the game in the United States. [2] Originally played as the "Ladies" Open, the event was sanctioned by the Women's Professional Golfers Association from 1946 to 1948, [2] and by the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) from 1949 to 1952. [2] It is one of the five women's major championships, alongside the Chevron Championship, the Women's PGA Championship, the Women's British Open, and The Evian Championship. [3] The U.S. Women's Open has always been played in stroke play, with the exception of the first competition in 1946, [4] and is currently the third women's major of the year. [3]
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The first trophy presented to U.S. Women's Open champions was donated by the Spokane Athletic Round Table, a fraternal order, and used until 1953. [2] The USGA commissioned the silversmith J. E. Caldwell and Co. of Philadelphia to produce a sterling-silver two-handled trophy, which was first presented to Betsy Rawls in 1953, and was retired to the USGA Museum in 1992. [2] Since then, the champion receives the Harton S. Semple Trophy, named for a former USGA committeeman and the USGA president from 1973 to 1974. [2] It was commissioned by Semple's family and friends in July 1992, [2] and was first presented to Patty Sheehan that year. [2]
Rawls and Mickey Wright jointly hold the record for the most U.S. Women's Open victories, with four each. [1] The most consecutive wins at the event is two, achieved by Wright, Susie Berning, Hollis Stacy, Annika Sörenstam, Donna Caponi, Betsy King and Karrie Webb. [1] The lowest [a] winning score for 72 holes in relation to par is 16-under, achieved by Juli Inkster in 1999. [1] The lowest aggregate winning score for 72 holes is 271, achieved by Minjee Lee in 2022. [5] Conversely, the highest winning score for 72 holes in relation to par is 13-over, achieved by Murle Lindstrom in 1962. [1] The highest aggregate winning score for 72 holes is 302, achieved by Rawls in 1953 and Kathy Cornelius in 1956; both events were won in playoffs. [1] The oldest champion was Babe Zaharias in 1954, at the age of 43, [6] and the youngest champion was Inbee Park in 2008, at the age of 19. [6] The U.S. Women's Open has had eight wire-to-wire champions: Zaharias in 1954, Fay Crocker in 1955, Wright in 1958, Mary Mills in 1963, Catherine Lacoste in 1967, Berning in 1968, Donna Caponi in 1970, and JoAnne Carner in 1971. [7]
