One Great Britain and Ireland and five USA Curtis Cup participants in this year's Match have qualified for the U.S. Women's Open at Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club July 8-11. Sally Watson of Scotland, who played in the 2008 Curtis Cup at St. Andrews and is completing her freshman year at Stanford University, qualified in Northern California on May 24.
USA teens Alexis Thompson, 15, and Jessica Korda, 17, each were medalists at their respective Florida sectional sites. In 2007 at the age of 12, Thompson became the youngest golfer to ever qualify for a Women's Open. This will be her fourth Women's Open. She plans to turn professional after the Curtis Cup.
This will be Korda's third Women's Open. She made the cut in her two previous appearances, carding final-round 69s in both.
Kimberly Kim, who just completed her freshman season at the University of Denver, earned medalist honors at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colo., on May 31. Kim, the 2006 U.S. Women's Amateur champion, will be competing in her fifth consecutive U.S. Women's Open.
Two other USA players were exempt from qualifying. Reigning U.S. Women's Amateur and U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links champion Jennifer Song will use her top-15 finish from last year's Women's Open as she plans to turn pro after the Match and thus would forfeit the exemption for winning the Women's Amateur. She tied for 13th in 2009 at Saucon Valley Country Club to earn low-amateur honors.
Jennifer Johnson was the runner-up to Song at the 2008 Women's Amateur and thus is fully exempt.