Qualifying for the U.S. Women's Open is complete, as players vied to punch their ticket to the 77th U.S. Women's Open Championship at Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club in Southern Pines, N.C.
An all-time record of 1,874 entries were received, and professional and amateur golfers competed across 23 sectional qualifying sites in the U.S., with three additional international sites.
Highlights from qualifying include:
May 16, 2022
Three professionals took the final three qualifying spots across the Atlantic Ocean at Buckinghamshire Golf Club, Denham, Buckinghamshire, England. Nicole Garcia medaled at five-under par as the only player in the field to post two rounds in red figures. Smila Tarning Soenderby finished at two under, and Lydia Hall survived a five-for-one playoff at even par to earn the last ticket to Pine Needles. She took five holes to outlast
Olivia Mehaffey,
Emily Kristine Pedersen,
Amelia Garvey, and Luna Sobron Galmes.
May 12, 2022
Amateur
Ami Gianchandani, the 2022 Ivy League Player of the Year, earned the only spot from Worcester Country Club in Worcester, Mass., posting the only under-par round of the final 18 at one-under to finish even for the qualifier. In her second round, the Yale junior overcame a double bogey on the par-3 fourth with five birdies to win by two strokes over amateurs
Molly Smith and
Kaitlyn Lee.
May 11, 2022
Amateur
Bailey Davis medaled out at Belle Haven Country Club in Alexandria, Va., with a score of three-under par. The 2021 U.S. Girls Junior runner-up nearly became the first African-American female to win a USGA championship at Columbia Country Club in Chevy Chase, Md. Davis makes her U.S. Women's Open debut in Pine Needles. Professional Sarah Kemp joins the University of Tennessee freshman as the two qualifiers, posting two-under par to beat third place by four shots.
May 10, 2022
Professionals IL Hee Lee and
Gabriela Ruffels earned the two qualifying spots out of Dragonfly Golf Club in Madera, Calif., with scores of eight and seven-under par, respectively. Yoonmin Han took the first alternate spot at four-under, with amateurs
Alexa Melton,
Harriet Lynch, and
Annika Borrelli finishing tied for fourth at one-under a piece. Ruffels, amateurgolf.com's
2020 Player of the Year winner, is making her third U.S. Women's Open start with a T13 finish in 2020 her best finish in the major to date.
University of Colorado senior
Malak Boureada won the lone qualifying spot from Walnut Creek Golf Preserve in Westminster, Colo., with a score of one-under par out of a field of 36. Bouraeda posted one-under in her opening 18 and cruised early in her second, sitting at five-under par with three holes left. Boureada survived carding a triple bogey on the par-4 16th and a bogey on the par-3 17th to shoot an even-par 72, good enough for a one-shot victory for her first U.S. Women's Open start.
Maude Leblanc medaled at even-par at Morris County Golf Club in Morristown, N.J., taking the top of four qualifying spots out of a 59-player field. No amateurs advanced, as 2021 U.S. Women's Open low amateur
Megha Ganne missed qualifying by four strokes. Professionals Lauren Kim and
Frida Kinhult shot one-over par, and
Grace Kim advanced out of a playoff against Pornanong Phatlum.
May 9, 2022
The ice cream girl qualifies for the U.S. Women's Open once again.
Lucy Li scorched the field at El Macero Country Club in El Macero, Calif., shooting seven-under par, ten shots better than
Kathleen Scavo and amateur
Abigail Leighton. Li, who qualified for the U.S. Women's Open in 2014 at 11-years old and ate ice cream during her press conference, will make her fourth U.S. Women's Open start in Pine Needles. She finished T-16 at Olympic Club in the 2021 U.S. Women's Open. Scavo beat Leighton in a playoff for the second qualifying spot.
USC commit Catherine Park matched professional Alyaa Abdulghany at four-under par for the two qualifying spots at Pauma Valley Country Club in Pauma Valley, Calif. Park eagled the par 5 11th as part of a four-under opening round 67, with only one bogey on the card to put her in position for her first U.S. Women's Open start. Park and Abdulghany beat professional
Andrea Lee by a shot, who just came off her best LPGA Tour finish of T5 at the Palos Verdes Championship.
Bailey Shoemaker medaled at Willoughby Golf Club in Stuart, Fla., by a stroke at one-under par over
Alexa Pano and
Lindy Duncan in a 60-player field for two spots. Pano, who marked her last amateur event at the August Women's National with a T12 before turning professional in April, needed a playoff with the sunlight fading to advance. She made a 10-footer to get into the playoff, then got up and down on the second playoff hole from 35 feet for par to outduel the eight-year LPGA veteran to earn her second trip to the U.S. Women's Open.
Amateur Sara Im and professional
Gemma Dryburgh separated from the 66-player field at Dunwoody Country Club in Dunwoody, Ga., shooting five and six-under respectively to beat third-place at one-under par. Im posted only one bogey in her final 18 on the second hole, posting four birdies the rest of the way to post a 69 to secure her trip to Pine Needles. The high school junior maintains her late April momentum, winning the USGA Women's Amateur Four-Ball Championship in late April, then won the AJGA's Rome Junior Classic in Rome, Ga., at the beginning of May.
One spot was available for 36 players at the par 70 Oahu Country Club in Honolulu Monday. Professional
Tiffany Chan fired a second round 66, the low round of the qualifier, to finish at even par for the qualifier and dart past amateur
Karissa Kilby for the only qualifying spot. Kilby, a freshman out of Florida International University, finished T8 in her first appearance in the Conference USA women's championship in April.
Stonebridge Country Club in Aurora, Illinois had one qualifying spot that professional
Ingrid Gutierrez seized at two-under with a strong showing on the front-nine in her 36-hole qualifier. Gutierrez posted five birdies on the opening side, leading her to a one-shot win over fellow professional
Jillian Hollis.
Chaska Town Course in Chaska, Minn., had one spot up for grabs on Monday, with professional Gabby Lemieux finishing one-under par for medalist honors and her ticket to Pine Needles. In her second round, Lemieux overcame a triple bogey on the 358-yard par 4 13th, which she birdied in her opening 18. She finished one stroke ahead of professional Allie White with an even-par 72 for the day's final round.
May 4
The only amateur to advance from Fox Run Golf Club in St. Louis was
Lauren Miller, posting a pair of 71s to beat out professionals
Lilia Vu and Ssu Chia Cheng for the final spot by a stroke. Professional Amanda Doherty medaled with seven birdies in her second round five-under 67 and an opening 70, the low score of 78 qualifiers. Professionals Isi Gabsa and
Sofia Garcia rounded out the four qualifiers with scores of 138 and 142, respectively. The Mississippi State graduate student will tee it up at Pine Needles alongside her head coach Charlie Ewing's wife, two-time LPGA winner
Ally Ewing.
Amateur
Melanie Green finished in second place of five spots available at the Forest Country Club in Fort Myers, Fla. qualifier with a 36-hole score of six-under par, avoiding by two strokes a five-for-three playoff duked out by five professionals:
Jaye Marie Green,
Muni He,
Bianca Pagdanganan,
Dottie Ardina, and
Morgane Metraux. As a result, the University of South Florida sophomore qualified for her first U.S. Women's Open.
At the Ohio State University Golf Club in Columbus, Ohio,
Emma McMyler became the only amateur to qualify, finishing in second place of three available spots. The Xavier sophomore shot the low round of the opening 18 in the 36-hole qualifier, going bogey-free with a birdie and an eagle for a three-under par 69. She posted a 72 in the final round to finish in second.
Lauren Hartlage medaled by a stroke, with a second-round 69 to pass McMyler by a shot for a total of 140. Professional
Daniela Darquea rounded out the qualifying for a 36-hole score of 142.
May 3
No amateurs advanced from The Clubs at Houston Oaks in Hockley, Texas, as professional Annie Park medaled by a stroke. A four for three playoff at three-under par emerged that went into the following day between three professionals, Karen Kim,
Cheyenne Knight, and
Robyn Ree along with 2022 Augusta National Women's Amateur runner-up
Ingrid Lindblad. In her second round of the 36-hole qualifier, the LSU junior recovered from a double bogey to post a three-under 68 to battle into the playoff but ended up the odd woman out, serving as the first alternate.
Qualifying at Shannopin Country Club in Pittsburgh ran into a weather delay, extending play into the morning of May 4th. However, it didn't slow down University of Vanderbilt senior
Auston Kim, who beat the field by three with back-to-back 69s to qualify for her third career U.S. Women's Open start. Professional
Marissa Steen and
Laney Frye round out the three qualifiers from 56 contestants, who shot one-under par and even, respectively.
Just across the road from Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club at Mid Pines Inn & Golf Club in Southern Pines, N.C., professional Bethany Wu won with a 36-hole score of 140, breaking away from a five-way playoff for the final two spots. Amateurs
Jenny Bae, a senior from the University of Georgia who won the 2021 NCAA Columbus regional, and
Anna Morgan, a junior out of the Furman University, joined professionals
Pauline Roussin-Bouchard, Allison Emrey, and
Gina Kim. Morgan birdied the first playoff hole, and Roussin-Bouchard birdied the second to qualify. Emrey and Kim are first and second alternates, respectively.
May 2
Annabell Fuller from England shot 66-71 to finish three-under par on the Mark Bostick Golf Course at the University of Florida, Gainesville, Fla. The Gator junior capitalized on her college's home course, shooting the low round of the opening 18 featuring an eagle on the par 5 12th for a three-under back nine. She matched professional Mariel Galdino of Pearl City, Hawaii, at three under for the two qualifying spots.
April 28
SMU commit
Yunxuan (Michelle) Zhang of Plano, Texas shot 67-67 (-10) to win the Richardson, Texas qualifier at Canyon Creek Country Club. Zhang made 11 birdies and an eagle over the 36 holes to edge the other qualifier, professional Julianne Alvarez, by two shots.
April 26
Pepperdine freshman
Lauren Gomez (Murrieta, Calif.) was flawless as she posted two straight bogey-free 68s to win the qualifier at Soule Park GC in Ojai, California. Gomez entered the qualifier on a high, having earned Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors while also being the medalist at the West Coast Conference (WCC) Championships just two days prior.
- Alexandra Forsterling Twitter photo Arizona State senior
Alexandra Forsterling (Germany) shot rounds of 72-70 to be one of three medalists at Gainey Ranch Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona. Forsterling, who won last month's PING/ASU Collegiate Invitational, wobbled early on her final nine but rebounded with two birdies coming in to reach two under and make it through on the number.
April 25
- Japan Golf Association photo
Nearly 7000 miles from Pine Needles, two amateurs advanced from the lone qualifier played in Japan. At Boso Country Club,
Baba Saki shot rounds of 69-70 to join fellow am
Nika Ito, who shot 71-68, at 5 under par. The two both survived a 4-for-3 playoff to punch their tickets to the championship.
- Korea Golf Association photo
Two spots were available at the qualifier held in South Korea, and amateurs took both of them.
Alicia Joo shot a pair of 69s to earn medalist honors, while
Jeonghyun Lee had rounds of 69-70 to take the final spot and avoid what would have been a three-way playoff.
April 19
Kylee Choi (WA Golf photo) The first amateur to successfully qualify for the 77th U.S. Women's Open was 15-year-old
Kylee Choi of Murrieta, California. The high school sophomore shot rounds of 74-71 to earn the lone spot in the 40-player field at Meridian Valley Country Club in Kent, Washington.
What's Next
Qualifying is now concluded. The 77th U.S. Women's Open Championship will be played at Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club in Southern Pines, N.C., June 2-5, 2022.