USGA

USGA announces return of qualifying for 2021 U.S. Women’s Open

January 26, 2021
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The Olympic Club will host this year's U.S. Women's Open from June 3-6.

The USGA announced on Tuesday it was bringing back one of the prized aspects of the U.S. Women’s Open for 2021: qualifiers.

Unable to conduct the normal qualifying process ahead of the 2020 championship at Champions Golf Club in Houston due to the COVID-19 pandemic, officials held an all-exempt championship, creating various categories to try to replicate a typical Open field.

For the 2021 championship, which will be played at The Olympic Club in San Francisco, in June 3-6, 22 local qualifiers will be run around the country between April 26 and May 13, with players having 36 holes to try to play their way into the championship.

“Last year was a difficult one in many respects and the decision to cancel qualifying did not come easily,” John Bodenhamer, the USGA’s senior managing director of championships, said. “We are thankful to be able to safely bring back qualifying and the openness that embodies all our championships in 2021.”

Female golfers who have a handicap index of 2.4 or better are eligible to enter the championship on the USGA’s website. Roughly half the final U.S. Women’s Open field will be filled by golfers advancing through qualifiers.

Still to be determined is whether the USGA will hold any international qualifiers, which it has conducted in England, Japan, China and South Korea since 2014.

Qualifying will be played at the following courses:

2021 U.S. Women’s Open Qualifying Sites

Monday, April 26

Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon (Champions Course), Beaumont, Calif.
Half Moon Bay (Calif.) Golf Links (Old Course)
Oceanside Country Club, Ormond Beach, Fla.
OGA Golf Course, Woodburn, Ore.

Tuesday, April 27

Belle Haven Country Club, Alexandria, Va.

Wednesday, April 28

Old Hickory Golf Club, St. Louis, Mo.

Thursday, April 29

Kishwaukee Country Club, Dekalb, Ill.

Monday, May 3

Brentwood Country Club, Los Angeles, Calif.
Marin Country Club, Novato, Calif.
Bradenton (Fla.) Country Club
Druid Hills Golf Club, Atlanta, Ga.
Somerset Country Club, Mendota Heights, Minn.

Tuesday, May 4

Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club, Southern Pines, N.C.
Shannopin Country Club, Pittsburgh, Pa.
The Clubs at Houston Oaks, Hockley, Texas

Wednesday, May 5

Dedham (Mass.) Country & Polo Club

Monday, May 10

The Ranch Country Club, Westminster, Colo.
Oahu Country Club, Honolulu, Hawaii
Spring Lake Golf Club, Spring Lake, N.J.
Oakmont Country Club, Corinth, Texas

Tuesday, May 11

Banyan Cay Resort & Golf Club, West Palm Beach, Fla.

Thursday, May 13

Superstition Mountain Golf Club, Gold Canyon, Ariz.