The oldest women’s amateur competition in the country is underway at Woodmont Country Club with the 120th playing of the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship.
Each of the 132 competitors is looking to be among the 64 to advance to match play after two 18-hole stroke-play rounds, and then hoping to win six matches over five days, including a 36-hole final, to have her name engraved on the Robert Cox Trophy.
The Women’s Amateur champion receives a gold medal and custody of the trophy for the ensuing year, and both finalists receive an exemption into the 2021 U.S. Women’s Open at The Olympic Club. Past winners of the championship include Juli Inkster, Glenna Collett Vare and Babe Didrikson Zaharias, while more recent champions who have gone on to professional success include Morgan Pressel, Lydia Ko and Danielle Kang.
In addition to first-round tee times being adjusted due to the threat of inclement weather on Monday afternoon, here are three things to know as the Women’s Amateur begins:
Defense Department
Last year’s champion, Gabriela Ruffels, will attempt to defend her title, looking to become the first repeat winner since Kang in 2010 and 2011. In addition to Kang, only four players have won back-to-back U.S. Women’s Amateurs since World War II: Kelli Kuehne (1995-1996), Kay Cockerill (1986-1987) and Inkster (1980-82). Ruffels, who defeated Albane Valenzuela, 1 up, at Old Waverly Golf Club in the 2019 final match, is currently No. 16 in the Women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking®.
Girls Golf Alums
Since 1989, LPGA-USGA Girls Golf has helped prepare girls ages 6 to 17 for a lifetime of enjoyment of the game, while also inspiring them to feel confident, build positive self-esteem and live active and healthy lives. At this year’s U.S. Women’s Amateur, more than a quarter of the competitors (37 of 132; 28 percent) are Girls Golf alums. That list includes 2019 semifinalist Megha Ganne, 2019 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball champion Megan Furtney, and 2019 U.S Women’s Open low amateur Gina Kim.
Local Connections
It was an early wake-up call for Aneka Seumanutafa, Lauren Greenlief and Virunpat Olankitkunchai on Monday morning, but the first group off the tee didn’t have to adjust to unfamiliar surroundings. All three have ties to the area. Seumanutafa, who was a quarterfinalist in last year’s U.S. Women’s Amateur, is the only player in the field from Maryland, hailing from Emmitsburg. Greenlief, from just across the Potomac River in Ashburn, Va., is making her eighth appearance in the Women’s Amateur. Olankitkunchai is a senior at the University of Maryland in College Park and was the first player in program history to qualify for the NCAA Championships in 2019.
Mike Trostel is the executive producer of content for the USGA. Email him at mtrostel@usga.org.
