The 2013 U.S. Women's Open was the 68th U.S. Women's Open, held June 27–30 at Sebonack Golf Club in Southampton, New York.[1] It was first time the championship was played on Long Island and marked a return to the greater New York City area, which last hosted the U.S. Women's Open in 1987.[3]Inbee Park won her second U.S. Women's Open title, four strokes ahead of runner-up I.K. Kim. It was Park's fourth major title and third consecutive in 2013. She is the first to win the opening three majors of a season since Babe Zaharias in 1950.[4] The event was televised by ESPN and NBC Sports.
The championship was open to any female professional or amateur golfer with a USGA handicap index not exceeding 4.4.[1] Players qualified by competing in one of twenty 36-hole qualifying tournaments that were held between May 7 and May 30 at sites across the United States. Additional players were exempt from qualifying because of past performances in professional or amateur tournaments around the world.[7]
A record 1,420 entries were received for the championship, surpassing the previous record of 1,364 in 2012.[1][8]
Exempt from qualifying
Many players were exempt in multiple categories. Players are listed only once, in the first category in which they became exempt, with additional categories in parentheses ( ) next to their names. Golfers qualifying in Category 12 who qualify by more than one method are also denoted with the tour by which they qualified.[7]
2. Winner and runner-up from the 2012 U.S. Women's Amateur (must be an amateur) Lydia Ko (4,11,13,14) (winner). The runner-up, Jaye Marie Green, turned professional in August 2012 and was no longer exempt from qualifying. She attempted, and failed, to qualify at the Heathrow, Florida qualifying tournament on May 28.
4. Winner of the 2012 Mark H. McCormack Medal (Women's World Amateur Golf Ranking) (must be an amateur) The winner, Lydia Ko, is already qualified in Category 2.
10. Top 10 money leaders from the 2013 official LPGA money list, through the close of entries on May 1. All players already qualified in other categories.
11. Winners of LPGA co-sponsored events, whose victories are considered official, from the conclusion of the 2012 U.S. Women's Open Championship to the initiation of the 2013 U.S. Women's Open Championship All players already qualified in other categories.
12. Top five money leaders from the 2012 Japan LPGA Tour, Korea LPGA Tour and Ladies European Tour
13. Top 25 point leaders from the current Rolex Rankings and anyone tying for 25th place as of May 1, 2013 Ariya Jutanugarn (13,14) (withdrew from tournament on June 25[11])
14. Top 25 point leaders from the current Rolex Rankings and anyone tying for 25th place as of June 24, 2013 All players already qualified in other categories.
Additional players qualified for the 2013 U.S. Women's Open through one of the sectional qualifying tournaments.[13] At sites with multiple qualifiers, players are listed in order of qualifying scores, from lowest score to highest.[7]
The following players were added to the field on June 10 when spots reserved for players qualifying in various categories, including 5, 10, 12, and 13, were not used.[19]
Moira Dunn, the first alternate from the Heathrow, Florida qualifier
Ji Young Oh, the first alternate from the Baltimore qualifier
Brooke Pancake, the first alternate from the Atlanta qualifier
Karen Stupples, the second alternate from the Atlanta qualifier
Danah Bordner, the second alternate from the Baltimore qualifier, was added to the field on June 12 when Jimin Kang, who qualified in category 9, withdrew from the tournament.[19]
Ryann O'Toole, the first alternate from the Boylston, Massachusetts qualifier, was added to the field on June 24 when Karin Sjödin who qualified in category 9, withdrew from the tournament citing a shoulder injury.[20]
Christel Boeljon, the first alternate from the River Vale, New Jersey qualifier, was added to the field on June 24 when the space reserved for the winner of the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship was not used because the winner, Inbee Park, had already qualified in multiple categories.[20]
Amy Meier, the first alternate from the St. Louis qualifier, Lindy Duncan, the first alternate from the West Palm Beach, Florida qualifier, and Mikayla Harmon, an amateur and the first alternate from the Glendale Arizona qualifier, were added to the field when Jeon Mi-jeong, Bo-Mee Lee, and Sun-Ju Ahn, who all qualified in category 12, declined to participate in the tournament.
Hannah Suh, an amateur and the first alternate from the Daly City, California qualifier, was added to the field on June 25 when Ariya Jutanugarn, who qualified in category 13, withdrew with a shoulder injury.[21]
Source:[1]
The front nine was slightly altered for the championship, starting at the members' second hole and concluding at the first. The back nine was unchanged.
Round summaries
First round
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Kim Ha-Neul shot a bogey-free 6-under-par 66 to lead by one stroke over Inbee Park.[22] Park won the first two majors of the 2013 season, only Babe Zaharias in 1950 has won the first three majors in a season.[23] Defending champion Na Yeon Choi shot 71 to tie for 17th.
The second round was interrupted by fog on Friday afternoon with only 114 players completing their second rounds. Inbee Park, in the last group to finish Friday, was the clubhouse leader at 9-under-par.[25]
